Time-Efficient Active Bearing-Only Localization with Reception and Coverage Guarantees

Abstract

We consider the localization and removal of a stationary omnidirectional radio source using a mobile sensor with bounded bearing errors and an unknown reception radius within known bounds. The objective is to minimize expected remaining action time under a fixed continuation policy while guaranteeing reception and source removal under the sensing model. A three-disk filter ensures reception, and a minimum enclosing circle certifies coverage of all bearing-consistent source positions. Monte Carlo sample-average search ranks a finite candidate set by complete mission time, including travel, readings, terminal service, and a finite fallback scan that ensures completion under the stated assumptions. In the reference case, 5000 independent validation missions average 60.40 s (approximate 95\% confidence interval: [59.96, 60.84] s), saving 19.39\% relative to a prescribed lateral point and 0.79\% relative to a short-travel point. All 25,000 selected-point validation missions across five initial geometries succeed, with lower mean completion times than both prescribed designs. A same-grid objective ablation shows that minimizing travel or reading count alone can increase mean completion time.

7 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables