Comparison of Barrier Surveillance Algorithms for Directional Sensors and UAVs

Border surveillance and the monitoring of critical infrastructure are essential components of regional and industrial security. In this paper, our purpose is to study the intricate nature of surveillance methods used by hybrid monitoring systems utilizing Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras, modeled as directional sensors, and UAVs. We aim to accomplish three occasionally conflicting goals. Firstly, at any given moment we want to detect as many intruders as possible with special attention to newly arriving trespassers. Secondly, we consider it equally important to observe the temporal movement and behavior of each intruder group as accurately as possible. Furthermore, in addition to these objectives, we also seek to minimize the cost of sensor usage associated with surveillance. During the research, we developed and analyzed several interrelated, increasingly complex algorithms. By leveraging RL methods we also gave the system the chance to find the optimal solution on its own. As a result we have gained valuable insights into how various components of these algorithms are interconnected and coordinate. Building upon these observations, we managed to develop an efficient algorithm that takes into account all three criteria mentioned above.