The consensus among distributed information processing nodes in a limited and uncertain communication setting

Abstract

This paper introduces an innovative methodology to establish consensus among distributed information processing nodes (DIPNs) in the context of multi-target tracking (MTT) within environments characterized by resource constraints and communication uncertainties. Through the integration of the event-triggered (ET) strategy with a consensus-based algorithm, existing approaches foster consensus among DIPNs while simultaneously conserving communication resources. Nonetheless, a systematic investigation into the comprehensive analysis of data reliability from each node has not been conducted. Combining anomalous data resulting from communication uncertainties with other data on an equal footing leads to inaccurate results. To address this issue, we apply the multiple-model algorithm, assigning consensus weight to each DIPN based on the motion model distribution of the same target observed by different DIPN. Additionally, we introduce an auxiliary ET marker, considering the divergence in the motion model distribution between two consecutive moments of a certain target. This marker assists in determining whether local information must be transmitted to other DIPNs. The proposed approach yields more accurate and congruent output results from each DIPN in comparison to conventional methods, given the same triggering frequency. Numerical simulations demonstrate the efficacy of the suggested approaches in a distributed MTT scenario.