Section: Research Program

Distributed estimation and data fusion in network systems

This research topic concerns distributed data combination from multiple sources (sensors) and related information fusion, to achieve more specific inference than could be achieved by using a single source (sensor). It plays an essential role in many networked applications, such as communication, networked control, monitoring, and surveillance. Distributed estimation has already been considered in the team. We wish to capitalize and strengthen these activities by focusing on integration of heterogeneous, multidimensional, and large data sets:

• Heterogeneity and large data sets. This issue constitutes a clearly identified challenge for the future. Indeed, heterogeneity comes from the fact that data are given in many forms, refer to different scales, and carry different information. Therefore, data fusion and integration will be achieved by developing new multi-perception mathematical models that can allow tracking continuous (macroscopic) and discrete (microscopic) dynamics under a unified framework while making different scales interact with each other. More precisely, many scales are considered at the same time, and they evolve following a unique fully-integrated dynamics generated by the interactions of the scales. The new multi-perception models will be integrated to forecast, estimate and broadcast useful system states in a distributed way. Targeted applications include traffic networks and navigation, and concern recent grant proposals that team has elaborated, among which the SPEEDD EU FP7 project, which has been accepted and started in February 2014 and the LOCATE-ME project, which treats pedestrian navigation.

• Multidimensionality. This issue concerns the analysis and the processing of multidimensional data, organized in multiway array, in a distributed way. Robustness of previously-developed algorithms will be studied. In particular, the issue of missing data will be taken into account. In addition, since the considered multidimensional data are generated by dynamic systems, dynamic analysis of multiway array (or tensors) will be considered. The targeted applications concern distributed detection in complex networks and distributed signal processing for collaborative networks. This topic is developed in strong collaboration with UFC (Brazil).