Symbiotic Sensor Networks in Complex Underwater Terrains: A Simulation Framework

Abstract

Abstract. This paper presents a new multi-agent physics-based simulation framework (DISCOVERY), supporting experiments with self-organizing underwater sensor and actuator networks. DISCOVERY models mobile autonomous underwater vehicles, distributed sensor and actuator nodes, as well as multi-agent datato-decision integration. The simulator is a real-time system using a discrete action model, fractal-based terrain modelling, with 3D visualization and an evaluation mode, allowing to compute various objective functions and metrics. The quantitative measures of multi-agent dynamics can be used as a feedback for evolving the agent behaviors. An evaluation of a simple simulated scenario with a heterogeneous team is also described.

Decentralized Multi-Agent Clustering in Scale-free Sensor Networks

“…• sentient -relying on perception through sensing (but not necessarily conscious); • active -interrogating/probing the environment, and self-inspecting both locally and globally [29,35]; • reconfigurable -reacting in real time, robust to external and internal fluctuations [32], and adapting to significant change through updating sensor layouts, communication protocols, and power consumption modes; • coordinated -behaving coherently as a dynamical system [36]; fusing the data of individual agents into a joint shared model [9,30]; • symbiotic -recognizing and forming relationships of mutual benefit or dependence among various types of agents (for example, nodes in a sensor network monitoring environment may assist in navigation of multi-robot teams, while being powered by the robots when required) [13].…”