5.1.2. Results and Comments
Figure 5 and
Figure 6 show the minimum and average redundancy results, depending on the target coverage. These figures illustrates the results of three methods: NSGA-II whose performances are taken from [
17], OCPM-
where the orientation angles are the only decision variables and OCPM-
where OCPM has more flexibility (
x,
y coordinates, as well as the orientation angle
can be tuned).
OCPM-
outperforms NSGA-II (+
in terms of minimum redundancy and +
for average redundancy). In terms of target observation, OCPM-
reaches
These results can be explained by the effectiveness of our method in ensuring the cameras orientation efficiently, and furthermore the shape of our realistic cone-shaped cameras which improves the evaluation of the cameras’ field of view. The gain in terms of field of view (for each camera) is given by Equation
10.
OCPM- allows the coverage of all the targets ( of coverage) and its performances are globally better than those of the two other methods. This is explained by the flexibility of the camera positioning and the ability of our method to achieve quickly effective solutions. These preliminary results suggest that our method is more effective than the comparison method in achieving its objectives.
We also compare compare OCPM to four optimization methods, namely CPGA, ECPGA, Lexicographic and RCMA (these methods and their performances are detailed in [
17]). In
Figure 7, we present the Best Compromise among OCPM results (denoted BC OCPM).
This shows the cumulative values of the best compromise according to their objective functions. It can be highlighted that OCPM presents a better cumulative value of the best compromise.
We carried out further experiments to evaluate the performance of OCPM with respect to the number of visual sensor nodes. For this purpose, we vary the number of cameras from 10 to 70. We consider two scenarios with 25 and 50 randomly placed targets.
Figure 8,
Figure 9 and
Figure 10 respectively illustrate, the variation in terms of target coverage, minimum redundancy and average redundancy, for a given number of targets and cameras.
The presented solutions are selected based on priority, following the order of highest coverage, followed by redundancy, and finally redundancy rate. This selection aligns with the high-speed convergence of our method, adhering to the specified priority order.
With 10 cameras, the 50-targets configuration achieves a superior coverage of , surpassing the 25-targets configuration, although full target coverage is not attained in either case. This improvement can be justified to the detriment of the redundancy, which is higher in the 25-targets setup. This performance is due to an insufficient number of cameras compared to targets. However, the coverage difference between the two deployments is nearly .
With 20 cameras, the coverage of the 25-targets configuration surpasses that of the 50-targets configuration, reaching nearly . However, this enhanced coverage in the 25-target setup negatively affects the redundancy value, which is more favorable for the 50-targets configuration. The notable increase in the number of cameras in the 25-targets configuration accounts for its complete coverage.
For a configuration of 30 cameras, the coverage performance reaches a maximum of for a setup with 25 targets, and it attains for a setup with 50 targets. The redundancy outcome is more successful in the 25-targets setup compared to the 50-targets setup, as the coverage cannot be further optimized. These results can be explained by the over-provisioned context in the 25-targets setup, leading to a rapid convergence towards optimal solutions. Meanwhile, redundancy for the 50-targets setup increases at a slower rate because the process is still in the phase of maximizing coverage.
With 40 cameras deployed in both configurations, coverage performance is close to as all targets are covered. When the coverage function has already been maximized, the system focuses on maximizing redundancy. Consequently, redundancy performance approaches the maximum value. The average redundancy logically increases, with the value for the 50-targets configuration being better than that for the 25-targets configuration. In both setups, the average redundancy performance exceeds 2, indicating that at least two cameras observe each point of interest.
With 50 cameras, all targets in both the 25-targets and 50-targets setups are covered, and the redundancy observed reaches . This is attributed to the substantial number of deployed sensors. Furthermore, the redundancy rate is expected to continue maximizing for configurations with 60 and 70 cameras.
From this analysis, it can be inferred that when the number of sensors is equal or greater than the number of targets in the scene, our method ensures maximum coverage and redundancy in a randomly deployed sensor configuration. This scenario is characterized as an over-provisioned context.
In contrast, in the under-provisioned context, error bars are observed in both deployments, indicating that the algorithm at times explores suboptimal solutions. These bars define the confidence level of the obtained results. As optimal values are approached, these error bars decrease or disappear.
These analyses provide justification for the adaptability and effectiveness of our method in various environments containing targets.
Numerous state-of-the-art studies focus on target coverage and redundancy concepts. In this section, we conducted a comparative analysis of our method against an existing approach in the literature, and our results demonstrated greater satisfaction. We systematically varied the number of cameras and targets, yielding compelling solutions.
Furthermore, the challenge intensifies when acquiring scene data in the presence of physical obstacles. In the subsequent section, we enhance our approach by incorporating these features in the analysis of a complex scene with obstructions.