Estimating Parameters of Non-convex Target Object Using Networked Binary Sensors

A parameter estimation method for a target object in an area that sensors monitor is described, where the parameters to be estimated are the perimeter length, the size, and a parameter determined by the interior angles of the target object. The estimation method does not use sensor location information, only the binary information on whether each sensor detects the target object. First, the sensing area of each sensor is assumed to be line-segment-shaped, which is a model of an infrared distance measurement sensor. Second, based on the analytical results of assuming line-segment-shaped sensing areas, we developed a unified equation that works with general sensing areas and general target-object shapes to estimate the parameters of the target objects. Numerical examples using computer simulation show that our method yields accurate results.