Robotic Resource Allocation for the Observation of Ablating Target Sources
Abstract
Icebergs generated from ice ablation processes continue to be a threat for operations conducted in polar regions. Systems that have been developed to track and observe these
threats often use either space-based radar imaging or visual observation by the crew of the ship. Both of these methods have disadvantages, mostly in terms of real-time observation or the
physical abilities of the crew. We propose a robotic solution for
in-situ observation of icebergs, so that countermeasures may be
quickly implemented. Our focus in this work is the problem of allocating resources to observation regions: once areas of iceberg activity have been identified, how are robot observers assigned
to these regions and what cost metric may be used to determine the best placement of robot observers. Our solution is currently demonstrated and evaluated in simulation.