Unified Bayesian Situation Assessment Sensor Management

Sensor management in support of situation assessment (SA) presents a daunting theoretical and practical challenge. Scientific Systems Company, Inc. of Woburn MA and its subcontractor, Lockheed Martin Tactical Systems (LMTS) of Eagan MN, propose a foundational, joint control-theoretic approach to SA and SA sensor management that is based on three innovations: (1) a ``dynamic situational significance map'' that mathematically specifies the meaning of tactical significance for a given theater of interest at a given moment; (2) an intuitively meaningful and potentially computationally tractable objective function for SA, namely maximization of the expected number of (ordinary or group) targets of tactical interest; and (3) integration of these two concepts with approximate multitarget filters (specifically, first-order multitarget moment filters and multi-hypothesis correlator (MHC) engines). Under this approach, sensors will be directed to preferentially collect observations from targets of actual or potential tactical significance, according to an adaptively modified definition of tactical significance. Phase I showed the feasibility assessment for sensor management based on these innovations with a significance map that depends on position, speed, and heading, and demonstrated: (1) tractable objective functions, (2) closed-form formulas for these objective functions and (3) excellent sensor management performance for simulated multi-target scenarios with tactical significance. The primary focus of the Phase II will be to design and develop advanced approaches for sensor management capable of encompassing a very broad range of applications and emphasize the development of a prototype integrated sensor management algorithm to be tested using realistic multisensor data. Specific Phase II tasks are: (1) Extensions to the Multisensor Multistep Setting, (2) Extend the Significance Map to Include Target Type, Threat Level, and Changes in the Scene, (3) Extend to Group Targets and Force Structure, (4) Characterize the Effectiveness, Strengths, and Limitations of the Algorithms, and (5) Phase III, Transfer of Technology, and Commercialization. The project team includes Dr. Ronald Mahler of Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin will provide both technical and commercialization support in the application of sensor management technologies.