Multi sensor information fusion: distributed agents-based paradigm

Abstract

This paper describes a distributed agent-based paradigm, for hybrid (soft and hard) computation involved in multisensor information (data) fusion. The computations are interpreted as the outcome arising out of deterministic, nondeterministic or stochastic interaction among the agents, in an environment containing multiple sensors. These interactions are like chemical reactions and the evolution of the multiset of agents can mimic the data fusion arising in a complex sensory system to achieve a required outcome e.g. nature inspired computations and active walker (swarm - intelligence, battlefield tactics) models. Since the reaction rules are inherently parallel, any number of actions can be performed cooperatively or competitively among the subsets of the agents. We also describe how scale-free and small world networks can arise in the connectivity structure of agents during the information fusion.