14,021 research outputs found
A Parameterisation of Algorithms for Distributed Constraint Optimisation via Potential Games
This paper introduces a parameterisation of learning algorithms for distributed constraint optimisation problems (DCOPs). This parameterisation encompasses many algorithms developed in both the computer science and game theory literatures. It is built on our insight that when formulated as noncooperative games, DCOPs form a subset of the class of potential games. This result allows us to prove convergence properties of algorithms developed in the computer science literature using game theoretic methods. Furthermore, our parameterisation can assist system designers by making the pros and cons of, and the synergies between, the various DCOP algorithm components clear
Multi-target detection and recognition by UAVs using online POMDPs
This paper tackles high-level decision-making techniques for robotic missions, which involve both active sensing and symbolic goal reaching, under uncertain probabilistic environments and strong time constraints. Our case study is a POMDP model of an online multi-target detection and recognition mission by an autonomous UAV.The POMDP model of the multi-target detection and recognition problem is generated online from a list of areas of interest, which are automatically extracted at the beginning of the flight from a coarse-grained high altitude observation of the scene. The POMDP observation model relies on a statistical abstraction of an image processing algorithm's output used to detect targets. As the POMDP problem cannot be known and thus optimized before the beginning of the flight, our main contribution is an ``optimize-while-execute'' algorithmic framework: it drives a POMDP sub-planner to optimize and execute the POMDP policy in parallel under action duration constraints. We present new results from real outdoor flights and SAIL simulations, which highlight both the benefits of using POMDPs in multi-target detection and recognition missions, and of our`optimize-while-execute'' paradigm
Online algorithms for POMDPs with continuous state, action, and observation spaces
Online solvers for partially observable Markov decision processes have been
applied to problems with large discrete state spaces, but continuous state,
action, and observation spaces remain a challenge. This paper begins by
investigating double progressive widening (DPW) as a solution to this
challenge. However, we prove that this modification alone is not sufficient
because the belief representations in the search tree collapse to a single
particle causing the algorithm to converge to a policy that is suboptimal
regardless of the computation time. This paper proposes and evaluates two new
algorithms, POMCPOW and PFT-DPW, that overcome this deficiency by using
weighted particle filtering. Simulation results show that these modifications
allow the algorithms to be successful where previous approaches fail.Comment: Added Multilane sectio
- ā¦