Search for a mobile target by ground vehicle on a topographic terrain

Abstract

We address a continuous space search problem, where the searcher and the mobile target are moving on a topographic terrain, and the goal of the searcher is to locate the target in minimum expected time. The detection occurs when the target is located in the searcher's observed area. We assume that the searcher's observed area is bounded by topographic obstacles and changes in time along with the searcher's trajectory. In the report we provide a general algorithm of search, which is applicable to the search for both static and mobile targets. It follows a two-step solution: the first step is a terrain analysis, and at the second step the searcher's path is determined. For all simulated topographies the suggested algorithm converges and provides near-optimal solutions for the search of both static and moving targets even in the cases, where standard methods fail to provide solutions in polynomial time.