An Optimal Strategy for Off-Board Proximal Sensing of a Target: Part 1

The time-optimal strategy for a pursuer, endowed with a guided off-board sensor, is found to place the range-limited sensor platform onto a non-maneuvering target. Leveraging optimal control theory, a feedback control strategy is obtained for the pursuer using the indirect optimal control method. The target is assumed to have constant speed and move slower than the off-board sensor and the pursuer. The limited-range off-board sensor is assumed to be faster than the pursuer and the target. The pursuer is assumed to have unlimited range and is faster than the target but slower than the off-board sensor platform. All agents' communication, location, and heading are assumed known by all; the scenario assumes communication between the pursuer and off-board sensor is ideal. This work presents how the optimal control approach can be leveraged as well as highlighted in example simulations and an accompanying discussion of those results.