监控系统中的多摄像头协同算法

给出了一个分布式多摄像头监控系统结构,描述了一种使用路径模型和目标外形变化估计的数据融合方案,提出了一种新的在分布式监控系统中的多摄像头协同算法(PDA,PriorityandDistanceAlgorithm)。提出的算法基于多摄像头数据融合结果,根据任务优先级、目标与摄像头之间的距离及目标的可见性情况,分配摄像头给目标,其特点是使系统中有高优先级并距离摄像头最近的可见目标优先分配摄像头。实验结果表明提出算法能协同多摄像头可靠地跟踪人。     

一种非重叠多摄像头的实时监控系统

大范围场景的监控需要使用多个摄像头。论文利用运动目标的颜色信息和路径特征,设计了一种非重叠多摄像头的实时监控系统。系统采用分布式多层次结构,在进行单摄像头层的处理时,根据像素点亮度变化检测和跟踪运动目标,同时获取运动目标的外形信息和路径特征;在进行多摄像头层的处理时,使用估计目标外形变化和建立路径模型方法融合多个摄像头信息,实现目标在非重叠多摄像头的跟踪。该系统不要求校准摄像头,也不要求建立完整的场景模型,即便在有亮度变化的环境中,仍能立即准确跟踪目标。实验证明提出的方法有好的跟踪效果。     

Architectures for Cooperative Airborne Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping

This paper develops active Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping (SLAM) trajectory control strategies for multiple cooperating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for tasks such as surveillance and picture compilation in Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environments. Each UAV in the team uses inertial sensor and terrain sensor information to simultaneously localise the UAV while building a point feature map of the surrounding terrain, where map information is shared between vehicles over a data fusion network. Multi-vehicle active SLAM control architectures are proposed that actively plan the trajectories and motions of each of the vehicles in the team based on maximising information in the localisation and mapping estimates. We demonstrate and compare an ideal, centralised architecture, where a central planning node chooses optimal actions for each UAV, and a coordinated, decentralised architecture, where UAVs make their own control decisions based on common shared map information. The different architectures involve varying degrees of complexity and optimality through differing communications and computational requirements. Results are presented using a three-UAV team in a six-degree of freedom multi-UAV simulator.     

A Multi-agent Architecture Based on the BDI Model for Data Fusion in Visual Sensor Networks

The newest surveillance applications is attempting more complex tasks such as the analysis of the behavior of individuals and crowds. These complex tasks may use a distributed visual sensor network in order to gain coverage and exploit the inherent redundancy of the overlapped field of views. This article, presents a Multi-agent architecture based on the Belief-Desire-Intention (BDI) model for processing the information and fusing the data in a distributed visual sensor network. Instead of exchanging raw images between the agents involved in the visual network, local signal processing is performed and only the key observed features are shared. After a registration or calibration phase, the proposed architecture performs tracking, data fusion and coordination. Using the proposed Multi-agent architecture, we focus on the means of fusing the estimated positions on the ground plane from different agents which are applied to the same object. This fusion process is used for two different purposes: (1) to obtain a continuity in the tracking along the field of view of the cameras involved in the distributed network, (2) to improve the quality of the tracking by means of data fusion techniques, and by discarding non reliable sensors. Experimental results on two different scenarios show that the designed architecture can successfully track an object even when occlusions or sensor??s errors take place. The sensor??s errors are reduced by exploiting the inherent redundancy of a visual sensor network with overlapped field of views.     

Multi-Agent Information Fusion System to manage data from a WSN in a residential home

With the increase of intelligent systems based on Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) and the use of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) in context-aware scenarios, information fusion has become an essential part of this kind of systems where the information is distributed among nodes or agents. This paper presents a new MAS specially designed to manage data from WSNs, which was tested in a residential home for the elderly. The proposed MAS architecture is based on virtual organizations, and incorporates social behaviors to improve the information fusion processes. The data that the system manages and analyzes correspond to the actual data of the activities of a resident. Data is collected as the information event counts detected by the sensors in a specific time interval, typically one day. We have designed a system that improves the quality of life of dependant people, especially elderly, by fusioning data obtained by multiple sensors and information of their daily activities. The high development of systems that extract and store information make essential to improve the mechanisms to deal with the avalanche of context data. In our case, the MAS approach results appropriated because each agent can represent an autonomous entity with different capabilities and offering different services but collaborating among them. Several tests have been performed to evaluate this platform and preliminary results and the conclusions are presented in this paper.     

A hybrid multi-agent system architecture for enterprise integration using computer networks

The manufacturing industries are now experiencing fierce pressure of competition from every corner on this planet. In addition, the advancement in computer networks and information technologies has been gradually reshaping the manufacturing companies by shifting from the industrial age to the information era. Due to these elevated competitiveness and advanced computer technology, a number of new manufacturing and management strategies (e.g., CE or CIM) have emerged for the innovation of manufacturing enterprises. Although they have different definitions and scopes, there are several common issues: inter-enterprise functions integration; inter-enterprise resources integration; and collaboration. This paper proposes a new multi-agent system (MAS) architecture to support the inter-enterprise functions/resources integration and collaboration over the networked environment, including the hybrid agent architecture and hybrid network architecture. In contrast to the existing agent architectures, the proposed agent architecture enables agents to exhibit the hybrid (continuous and discrete) behavior and interactions. In addition, our network architecture is more suitable for building the large-scale distributed manufacturing systems that are prone to dynamic random changes of their environment. Based on the proposed MAS architecture, a collaborative product development environment is implemented as a starting point, and a multidisciplinary team-oriented design problem is illustrated to provide the vision of the proposed MAS architecture.     

A new paradigm for urban surveillance with vehicular sensor networks

We consider a new application paradigm of vehicular sensor networks (VSN). Currently, vehicles are equipped with forward facing cameras to assist forensic investigations of events by proactive image-capturing from streets and roads. Due to content redundancy and storage imbalance in this in-network distributed storage system, how to maximize its storage capacity becomes a nontrivial challenge. In other words, how to maximize the average lifetime of sensory data (i.e., images generated by cameras) in the network is a fundamental problem to be solved. This paper presents, VStore, a cooperative storage solution in vehicular sensor networks for mobile surveillance, which has been designed to support redundancy elimination and storage balancing throughout the network. Compared with existing works, we propose a novel storage architecture for urban surveillance and deal with challenges in a mobile scenario. Field testing was carried out with a trace-driven simulator, which utilized about 500 taxis in Shanghai. The testing results showed that VStore can largely prolong the average lifetime of sensory data by cooperative storage.     

Modeling robot cognitive activity through active mental entities

This paper aims at laying down the foundations of an approach to the development of autonomous robot control architecture based on the explicit representation of mental attitudes underlying robot behavior, considered as autonomous active entities. The approach is intended to integrate concepts from the area of distributed architectures and of mental attitude representation and aims at realizing an explicit motivational basis for robot behavior. Starting from an analysis of the evolution of autonomous robot control architectures, we discuss and motivate the introduction of active mental entities in the context of a distributed control architecture. Attention is then focused on two classes of mental entities, namely intender and attender: their main features are illustrated and discussed. A prototypical implementation of the proposed paradigm and its application to the control of the Khepera simulator are then described. A comparison with related works and a discussion of the main directions of future research conclude the paper.     

A data-centric design for n-tier architecture

The increasing heterogeneity, complexity, and distributed nature of deployment architectures only serve to compound the problems faced by software solutions. With the advent of the Internet and web technologies, system designers have had to reevaluate the applicability of n-tier architectures, and assess which technologies are appropriate at each tier. In this paper we evaluate the design issues of n-tier architecture. We debate whether it is good to move code or data to communicate messages between applications. Based on the latest technology of J2EE and .NET framework, we recommend a data centric design of n-tier architecture. Based on our experience we also suggest a modified interactive software process model.     

Distributed intelligence for multi-camera visual surveillance

Latest advances in hardware technology and state of the art of computer vision and artificial intelligence research can be employed to develop autonomous and distributed monitoring systems. The paper proposes a multi-agent architecture for the understanding of scene dynamics merging the information streamed by multiple cameras. A typical application would be the monitoring of a secure site, or any visual surveillance application deploying a network of cameras. Modular software (the agents) within such architecture controls the different components of the system and incrementally builds a model of the scene by merging the information gathered over extended periods of time. The role of distributed artificial intelligence composed of separate and autonomous modules is justified by the need for scalable designs capable of co-operating to infer an optimal interpretation of the scene. Decentralizing intelligence means creating more robust and reliable sources of interpretation, but also allows easy maintenance and updating of the system. Results are presented to support the choice of a distributed architecture, and to prove that scene interpretation can be incrementally and efficiently built by modular software.     

基于单片DSP的嵌入式视频监控终端及系统的实现

针对大范围分布、多监控点的视频监控需求,设计和实现了基于宽带网的具有分布式体系结构的监控系统,该系统允许视频监控终端、监控中心客户机和监控服务器在大范围内灵活、方便地组网.同时,介绍基于单片DSP的嵌入式视频监控终端的设计和实现中的关键技术,包括监控终端的软、硬件结构以及MPEG-4视频编码算法在DSP上实时实现的算法级和代码级优化.该监控系统已在实际中应用.     

Intelligent video surveillance system: 3-tier context-aware surveillance system with metadata

This paper presents an intelligent video surveillance system with the metadata rule for the exchange of analyzed information. We define the metadata rule for the exchange of analyzed information between intelligent video surveillance systems that automatically analyzes video data acquired from cameras. The metadata rule is to effectively index very large video surveillance databases and to unify searches and management between distributed or heterogeneous surveillance systems more efficiently. The system consists of low-level context-aware, high-level context-aware and intelligent services to generate metadata for the surveillance systems. Various contexts are acquired from physical sensors in monitoring areas for the low-level context-aware system. The situation is recognized in the high-level context-aware system by analyzing the context data collected in the low-level system. The system provides intelligent services to track moving objects in Fields Of View (FOVs) and to recognize human activities. Furthermore, the system supports real-time moving objects tracking with Panning, Tilting and Zooming (PTZ) cameras in overlapping and non-overlapping FOVs.     

An active vision system for multitarget surveillance in dynamic environments.

This paper presents a novel agent-based method for the dynamic coordinated selection and positioning of active-vision cameras for the simultaneous surveillance of multiple objects-of-interest as they travel through a cluttered environment with a-priori unknown trajectories. The proposed system dynamically adjusts not only the orientation but also the position of the cameras in order to maximize the system's performance by avoiding occlusions and acquiring images with preferred viewing angles. Sensor selection and positioning are accomplished through an agent-based approach. The proposed sensing-system reconfiguration strategy has been verified via simulations and implemented on an experimental prototype setup for automated facial recognition. Both simulations and experimental analyses have shown that the use of dynamic sensors along with an effective online dispatching strategy may tangibly improve the surveillance performance of a sensing system.     

A distributed architecture for a robotic platform with aerial sensor transportation and self‐deployment capabilities

This paper presents the architecture developed in the framework of the AWARE project for the autonomous distributed cooperation between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), wireless sensor/actuator networks, and ground camera networks. One of the main goals was the demonstration of useful actuation capabilities involving multiple ground and aerial robots in the context of civil applications. A novel characteristic is the demonstration in field experiments of the transportation and deployment of the same load with single/multiple autonomous aerial vehicles. The architecture is endowed with different modules that solve the usual problems that arise during the execution of multipurpose missions, such as task allocation, conflict resolution, task decomposition, and sensor data fusion. The approach had to satisfy two main requirements: robustness for operation in disaster management scenarios and easy integration of different autonomous vehicles. The former specification led to a distributed design, and the latter was tackled by imposing several requirements on the execution capabilities of the vehicles to be integrated in the platform. The full approach was validated in field experiments with different autonomous helicopters equipped with heterogeneous devices onboard, such as visual/infrared cameras and instruments to transport loads and to deploy sensors. Four different missions are presented in this paper: sensor deployment and fire confirmation with UAVs, surveillance with multiple UAVs, tracking of firemen with ground and aerial sensors/cameras, and load transportation with multiple UAVs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Distributing RePast agent‐based simulations with HLA

Large, experimental multi‐agent system (MAS) simulations are highly demanding tasks, both computationally and developmentally. Agent toolkits provide reliable templates for the design of even the largest MAS simulations, without offering a solution to computational limitations. Conversely, distributed simulation architectures offer performance benefits, but the introduction of parallel logic can complicate the design process significantly. The motivations of distribution are not limited to this question of processing power. True interoperation of sequential agent‐simulation platforms would allow agents designed using different toolkits to transparently interact in common abstract domains. This paper discusses the design and implementation of a system capable of harnessing the computational power of a distributed simulation infrastructure with the design efficiency of an agent toolkit. The system permits integration, through a higher‐level architecture (HLA) federation, of multiple instances of the Java‐based lightweight agent‐simulation toolkit RePast. This paper defines abstractly the engineering process necessary in creating such middleware, and reports on the experience in the specific case of the RePast toolkit. The paper also presents performance results that illustrate that significant speedup can be achieved through the integration of RePast with HLA. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distributed interactive video arrays for event capture and enhanced situational awareness

Video surveillance activity has dramatically increased over the past few years. Earlier work dealt mostly with single stationary cameras, but the recent trend is toward active multicamera systems. Such systems offer several advantages over single camera systems - multiple overlapping views for obtaining 3D information and handling occlusions, multiple nonoverlapping cameras for covering wide areas, and active pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras for observing object details. To address these issues, we have developed a multicamera video surveillance approach, called distributed interactive video array. The DIVA framework provides multiple levels of semantically meaningful information ("situational" awareness) to match the needs of multiple remote observers. We have designed DIVA-based systems that can track and identify vehicles and people, monitor perimeters and bridges, and analyze activities. A new video surveillance approach employing a large-scale cluster of video sensors demonstrates the promise of multicamera arrays for homeland security.     

An immune based two-phase approach for the multiple-type surveillance camera location problem

For the recent years, there are more and more surveillance cameras set on lanes, train/bus stations, hospitals, schools, banks, supermarkets, shopping malls, etc., to improve the safety of people around them. In Taiwan, the so-called “E-Patrol” system is used to support policemen for providing patrol services and several criminal cases have been solved with the use of surveillance cameras of “E-Patrol” system. It is well known that inappropriate settings of surveillance cameras will result in some dead angles and oversetting of surveillance cameras will waste limited resources. The setting of surveillance cameras is an important issue and a complicated NP problem. In this paper, we consider the design problem of multiple-type surveillance cameras on various lanes in which two kinds of variables have to be decided simultaneously, namely, discrete variables for types of surveillance cameras and continuous variables for locations of surveillance cameras. The main purposes of this paper are (i) to propose an immune based two-phase approach for solving the optimal design of multiple-type surveillance camera problem, and (ii) to show the excellent performance of the proposed two-phase approach.     

多传感器技术在机器人系统中的应用和研究

探讨了多传感器融合系统的软件结构设计方案，说明了如何设计一个基于多传感器的自主式智能机器人系统，提出了基于BP神经网络的融合方法。搭建了一个多传感器的智能机器人试验平台，实现了由两个摄像头组成的立体视觉和超声波传感器的融合。试验表明，多传感器融合技术在自主式智能系统中具有重要作用。     

PandaDB:一种异构数据智能融合管理系统

随着大数据应用的不断深入,对大规模结构化/非结构化数据进行融合管理和分析的需求日益凸显.然而,结构化/非结构化数据在存储管理方式、信息获取方式、检索方式方面的差异给融合管理和分析带来了技术挑战.本文提出了适用于异构数据融合管理和语义计算的属性图扩展模型,并定义了相关属性操作符和查询语法.接着,基于智能属性图模型提出异构数据智能融合管理系统PandaDB,并详细介绍了PandaDB的总体架构、存储机制、查询机制、属性协存和AI算法集成机制.性能测试和应用案例证明,PandaDB的协存机制、分布式架构和语义索引机制对大规模异构数据的即席查询和分析具有较好的性能表现,该系统可实际应用于学术图谱实体消歧与可视化等融合数据管理场景.     

A new system architecture for crowd simulation

Crowd simulation requires both rendering visually plausible images and managing the behavior of autonomous agents. Therefore, these applications need an efficient design that allows them to simultaneously handle these two requirements. Although several proposals have focused on the software architectures for these systems, no proposals have focused on the computer systems supporting them.In this paper, we analyze the computer architectures used in the literature to support distributed virtual environments. Also, we propose a distributed computer architecture which is efficient enough to support simulations of thousand of autonomous agents. This proposal consists of a cluster of interconnected computers in order to improve flexibility and robustness, as well as a hierarchical software architecture that efficiently provides consistency. Performance evaluation results show that the trade-off between flexibility and consistency allows to efficiently manage thousands of autonomous agents. Therefore, this network-based system architecture can provide the required scalability for large-scale crowd simulations.