{"id":{"repo_id":"gmu","oai_identifier":"oai:MARS:1920/14406"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/gmu/oai:MARS:1920/14406","repository":{"repo_id":"gmu","name":"George Mason University","base_url":"https://mars.gmu.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Distributed Infrastructure-Free Searching and Tracking: System Design and Localization Techniques","abstract":"For an effective and scalable approach to searching and tracking targets in unknown environments, coordination among a team of robotic agents is crucial. This dissertation addresses the search and track problem in an infrastructure-free environment, devoid of GPS or tracking beacons, and operating under fully onboard sensing and processing constraints. These constraints enhance the system's scalability. To address these challenges, we first propose a fully distributed solution for an ad-hoc network of agents to cooperatively search for and monitor targets in an unknown, infrastructure-free environment. This solution integrates a distributed pheromone-based coverage control strategy with a distributed target selection mechanism. Second, to facilitate communication and coordination among agents, we introduce Reloki, an infrastructure-free UWB-based relative localization system. Reloki enables ranging and Angle of Arrival (AoA) based relative localization in 3D, thereby allowing the mobile robots to work together effectively.","abstract_html":"For an effective and scalable approach to searching and tracking targets in unknown environments, coordination among a team of robotic agents is crucial. This dissertation addresses the search and track problem in an infrastructure-free environment, devoid of GPS or tracking beacons, and operating under fully onboard sensing and processing constraints. These constraints enhance the system's scalability. To address these challenges, we first propose a fully distributed solution for an ad-hoc network of agents to cooperatively search for and monitor targets in an unknown, infrastructure-free environment. This solution integrates a distributed pheromone-based coverage control strategy with a distributed target selection mechanism. Second, to facilitate communication and coordination among agents, we introduce Reloki, an infrastructure-free UWB-based relative localization system. Reloki enables ranging and Angle of Arrival (AoA) based relative localization in 3D, thereby allowing the mobile robots to work together effectively.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Prince Mathew, Joseph"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024","date_published":"2024","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:52:00Z","subjects":["Active Perception","Multi-agent Systems","Relative Localization","UWB Localization"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:1920/14406"],"render_values":[{"text":"hdl:1920/14406","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2024"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Active Perception","Multi-agent Systems","Relative Localization","UWB Localization"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:1920/14406"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.other","label":"Dc Description Other","values":["For an effective and scalable approach to searching and tracking targets in unknown environments, coordination among a team of robotic agents is crucial. This dissertation addresses the search and track problem in an infrastructure-free environment, devoid of GPS or tracking beacons, and operating under fully onboard sensing and processing constraints. These constraints enhance the system's scalability. To address these challenges, we first propose a fully distributed solution for an ad-hoc network of agents to cooperatively search for and monitor targets in an unknown, infrastructure-free environment. This solution integrates a distributed pheromone-based coverage control strategy with a distributed target selection mechanism. Second, to facilitate communication and coordination among agents, we introduce Reloki, an infrastructure-free UWB-based relative localization system. Reloki enables ranging and Angle of Arrival (AoA) based relative localization in 3D, thereby allowing the mobile robots to work together effectively."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Distributed Infrastructure-Free Searching and Tracking: System Design and Localization Techniques"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:date.issued":["2024"],"dc:description.other":["For an effective and scalable approach to searching and tracking targets in unknown environments, coordination among a team of robotic agents is crucial. This dissertation addresses the search and track problem in an infrastructure-free environment, devoid of GPS or tracking beacons, and operating under fully onboard sensing and processing constraints. These constraints enhance the system's scalability. To address these challenges, we first propose a fully distributed solution for an ad-hoc network of agents to cooperatively search for and monitor targets in an unknown, infrastructure-free environment. This solution integrates a distributed pheromone-based coverage control strategy with a distributed target selection mechanism. Second, to facilitate communication and coordination among agents, we introduce Reloki, an infrastructure-free UWB-based relative localization system. Reloki enables ranging and Angle of Arrival (AoA) based relative localization in 3D, thereby allowing the mobile robots to work together effectively."],"dc:identifier":["hdl:1920/14406"],"dc:subject":["Active Perception","Multi-agent Systems","Relative Localization","UWB Localization"],"dc:title":["Distributed Infrastructure-Free Searching and Tracking: System Design and Localization Techniques"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:52:00Z"}