Adaptive Target Localization under Uncertainty using Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning with Knowledge Transfer

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Alagha, Ahmed, Mizouni, Rabeb, Singh, Shakti, Bentahar, Jamal, Otrok, Hadi
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Alagha, Ahmed
Mizouni, Rabeb
Singh, Shakti
Bentahar, Jamal
Otrok, Hadi
author_facet Alagha, Ahmed
Mizouni, Rabeb
Singh, Shakti
Bentahar, Jamal
Otrok, Hadi
contents Target localization is a critical task in sensitive applications, where multiple sensing agents communicate and collaborate to identify the target location based on sensor readings. Existing approaches investigated the use of Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning (MADRL) to tackle target localization. Nevertheless, these methods do not consider practical uncertainties, like false alarms when the target does not exist or when it is unreachable due to environmental complexities. To address these drawbacks, this work proposes a novel MADRL-based method for target localization in uncertain environments. The proposed MADRL method employs Proximal Policy Optimization to optimize the decision-making of sensing agents, which is represented in the form of an actor-critic structure using Convolutional Neural Networks. The observations of the agents are designed in an optimized manner to capture essential information in the environment, and a team-based reward functions is proposed to produce cooperative agents. The MADRL method covers three action dimensionalities that control the agents' mobility to search the area for the target, detect its existence, and determine its reachability. Using the concept of Transfer Learning, a Deep Learning model builds on the knowledge from the MADRL model to accurately estimating the target location if it is unreachable, resulting in shared representations between the models for faster learning and lower computational complexity. Collectively, the final combined model is capable of searching for the target, determining its existence and reachability, and estimating its location accurately. The proposed method is tested using a radioactive target localization environment and benchmarked against existing methods, showing its efficacy.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_10924
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Adaptive Target Localization under Uncertainty using Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning with Knowledge Transfer
Alagha, Ahmed
Mizouni, Rabeb
Singh, Shakti
Bentahar, Jamal
Otrok, Hadi
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Robotics
Target localization is a critical task in sensitive applications, where multiple sensing agents communicate and collaborate to identify the target location based on sensor readings. Existing approaches investigated the use of Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning (MADRL) to tackle target localization. Nevertheless, these methods do not consider practical uncertainties, like false alarms when the target does not exist or when it is unreachable due to environmental complexities. To address these drawbacks, this work proposes a novel MADRL-based method for target localization in uncertain environments. The proposed MADRL method employs Proximal Policy Optimization to optimize the decision-making of sensing agents, which is represented in the form of an actor-critic structure using Convolutional Neural Networks. The observations of the agents are designed in an optimized manner to capture essential information in the environment, and a team-based reward functions is proposed to produce cooperative agents. The MADRL method covers three action dimensionalities that control the agents' mobility to search the area for the target, detect its existence, and determine its reachability. Using the concept of Transfer Learning, a Deep Learning model builds on the knowledge from the MADRL model to accurately estimating the target location if it is unreachable, resulting in shared representations between the models for faster learning and lower computational complexity. Collectively, the final combined model is capable of searching for the target, determining its existence and reachability, and estimating its location accurately. The proposed method is tested using a radioactive target localization environment and benchmarked against existing methods, showing its efficacy.
title Adaptive Target Localization under Uncertainty using Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning with Knowledge Transfer
topic Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.10924