Philippe Vanheeghe

GPS/IMU data fusion using multisensor Kalman filtering: introduction of contextual aspects

The aim of this article is to develop a GPS/IMU multisensor fusion algorithm, taking context into consideration. Contextual variables are introduced to define fuzzy validity domains of each sensor. The algorithm increases the reliability of the position information. A simulation of this algorithm is then made by fusing GPS and IMU data coming from real tests on a land vehicle. Bad data delivered by GPS sensor are detected and rejected using contextual information thus increasing reliability. Moreover, because of a lack of credibility of GPS signal in some cases and because of the drift of the INS, GPS/INS association is not satisfactory at the moment. In order to avoid this problem, the authors propose to feed the fusion process based on a multisensor Kalman filter directly with the acceleration provided by the IMU. Moreover, the filter developed here gives the possibility to easily add other sensors in order to achieve performances required.

Particle Filtering for Multisensor Data Fusion With Switching Observation Models: Application to Land Vehicle Positioning

This paper concerns the sequential estimation of a hidden state vector from noisy observations delivered by several sensors. Different from the standard framework, we assume here that the sensors may switch autonomously between different sensor states, that is, between different observation models. This includes sensor failure or sensor functioning conditions change. In our model, sensor states are represented by discrete latent variables, whose prior probabilities are Markovian. We propose a family of efficient particle filters, for both synchronous and asynchronous sensor observations as well as for important special cases. Moreover, we discuss connections with previous works. Lastly, we study thoroughly a wheel land vehicle positioning problem where the GPS information may be unreliable because of multipath/masking effects

Bayesian Inference for Linear Dynamic Models With Dirichlet Process Mixtures

Using Kalman techniques, it is possible to perform optimal estimation in linear Gaussian state-space models. Here, we address the case where the noise probability density functions are of unknown functional form. A flexible Bayesian nonparametric noise model based on Dirichlet process mixtures is introduced. Efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo and sequential Monte Carlo methods are then developed to perform optimal batch and sequential estimation in such contexts. The algorithms are applied to blind deconvolution and change point detection. Experimental results on synthetic and real data demonstrate the efficiency of this approach in various contexts.

Landmines Ground-Penetrating Radar Signal Enhancement by Digital Filtering

Until now, humanitarian demining has been unable to provide a solution to the landmine removal problem. Furthermore, new low-cost methods have to be developed quickly. While much progress has been made with the introduction of new sensor types, other problems have been raised by these sensors. Ground-penetrating radars (GPRs) are key sensors for landmine detection as they are capable of detecting landmines with low metal contents. GPRs deliver so-called Bscan data, which are, roughly, vertical slice images of the ground. However, due to the high dielectric permittivity contrast at the air-ground interface, a strong response is recorded at an early time by GPRs. This response is the main component of the so-called clutter noise, and it blurs the responses of landmines buried at shallow depths. The landmine detection task is therefore quite difficult, and a preprocessing step, which aims at reducing the clutter, is often needed. In this paper, a difficult case for clutter reduction, that is, when landmines and clutter responses overlap in time, is presented. A new and simple clutter removal method based on the design of a two-dimensional digital filter, which is adapted to Bscan data, is proposed. The designed filter must reduce the clutter on Bscan data significantly while protecting the landmine responses. In order to do so, a frequency analysis of a clutter geometrical model is first led. Then, the same process is applied to a geometrical model of a signal coming from a landmine. This results in building a high-pass digital filter and determining its cutoff frequencies. Finally, simulations are presented on simulated and real data, and a comparison with the classical clutter removal algorithm is made

Bayesian Inference for Dynamic Models with Dirichlet Process Mixtures

Using Kalman techniques, it is possible to perform optimal estimation in linear Gaussian state-space models. We address here the case where the noise probability density functions are of unknown functional form. A flexible Bayesian nonparametric noise model based on mixture of Dirichlet processes is introduced. Efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo and sequential Monte Carlo methods are then developed to perform optimal estimation in such contexts

An abrupt change detection algorithm for buried landmines localization

Ground-penetrating radars (GPRs) are very promising sensors for landmine detection as they are capable of detecting landmines with low metal contents. GPRs deliver so-called Bscan data which are, roughly, vertical slice images of the ground. However, due to the high dielectric permittivity contrast at the air-ground interface, a strong response is recorded at early time by GPRs. This response is the main component of the so-called clutter noise and it blurs the responses of landmines buried at shallow depths. The landmine detection task is therefore quite difficult. This paper proposes a new method for automated detection and localization of buried objects from Bscan records. A support vector machine algorithm for online abrupt change detection is implemented and proves to be efficient in detecting buried landmines from Bscan data. The proposed procedure performance is evaluated using simulated and real data.

3D guidance law modeling

Proportional navigation (PN) guidance laws (GLs) have been widely used and studied in the guidance literature. But most of the guidance literature on PN has concentrated on the evaluation of empirical PNGLs or GLs obtained from very specific optimality considerations. The authors present a novel approach (called guidance laws modeling) to derive new GLs. They consider the basic requirements of capture and define a complete class of GLs that meet these requirements. It is shown that PN is a natural candidate in this class. The main consequence of this modeling process is the definition of two new GLs: one in 2D space and the other in 3D space. These new GLs can be interpreted as new generalizations of the true proportional navigation (TPN) GL. Moreover, it is shown that these generalizations allow the TPNGL to match the capturability performance of the pure proportional navigation (PPN) GL in terms of initial conditions which allow the guided object to reach its target.

Multisensor fusion in the frame of evidence theory for landmines detection

In the frame of humanitarian antipersonnel mines detection, a multisensor fusion method using the Dempster-Shafer evidence theory is presented. The multisensor system consists of two sensors-a ground penetrating radar (GPR) and a metal detector (MD). For each sensor, a new features extraction method is presented. The method for the GPR is mainly based on wavelets and contours extraction. First simulations on a limited set of data show that an improvement in detection and false alarms rejection, for the GPR as a standalone sensor, could be obtained. The MD features extraction method is mainly based on contours extraction. All of these features are then fused with the GPR ones in some specific cases in order to determine a new feature. From these results, belief functions, as defined in the evidence theory, are then determined and combined thanks to the orthogonal sum. First results in terms of detection and false alarm rates are presented for a limited set of real data and a comparison is made between the two cases: with or without multisensor fusion.

Least committed basic belief density induced by a multivariate Gaussian: Formulation with applications

We consider here the case where our knowledge is partial and based on a betting density function which is n-dimensional Gaussian. The explicit formulation of the least committed basic belief density (bbd) of the multivariate Gaussian pdf is provided in the transferable belief model (TBM) framework. Beliefs are then assigned to hyperspheres and the bbd follows a @g^2 distribution. Two applications are also presented. The first one deals with model based classification in the joint speed-acceleration feature space. The second is devoted to joint target tracking and classification: the tracking part is performed using a Rao-Blackwellized particle filter, while the classification is carried out within the developed TBM scheme.

Locating sensor nodes on construction projects

Localization of randomly distributed wireless sensor nodes is a significant and fundamental problem in a broad range of emerging civil engineering applications. Densely deployed in physical environments, they are envisioned to form ad hoc communication networks and provide sensed data without relying on a fixed communications infrastructure. To establish ad hoc communication networks among wireless sensor nodes, it is useful and sometimes necessary to determine sensors’ positions in static and dynamic sensor arrays. As well, the location of sensor nodes becomes of immediate use if construction resources, such as materials and components, are to be tracked. Tracking the location of construction resources enables effortless progress monitoring and supports real-time construction state sensing. This paper compares several models for localizing RFID nodes on construction job sites. They range from those based on triangulation with reference to transmission space maps, to roving RFID reader and tag systems using multiple proximity constraints, to approaches for processing uncertainty and imprecision in proximity measurements. They are compared qualitatively on the basis of cost, flexibility, scalability, computational complexity, ability to manage uncertainty and imprecision, and ability to handle dynamic sensor arrays. Results of field experiments and simulations are also presented where applicable.