Adaptive Controller Placement for Wireless Sensor-Actuator Networks with Erasure Channels

TL;DR

This paper introduces an adaptive control architecture for wireless sensor-actuator networks over erasure channels, allowing dynamic role assignment of nodes to improve control performance under unreliable communication.

Contribution

It proposes a flexible, role-adaptive control framework for sensor-actuator networks that responds to transmission outcomes without fixed controller placement.

Findings

Adaptive architecture improves control performance over fixed-node setups.

Stochastic models characterize controller location distribution and system covariance.

Simulation demonstrates enhanced robustness and efficiency.

Abstract

Wireless sensor-actuator networks offer flexibility for control design. One novel element which may arise in networks with multiple nodes is that the role of some nodes does not need to be fixed. In particular, there is no need to pre-allocate which nodes assume controller functions and which ones merely relay data. We present a flexible architecture for networked control using multiple nodes connected in series over analog erasure channels without acknowledgments. The control architecture proposed adapts to changes in network conditions, by allowing the role played by individual nodes to depend upon transmission outcomes. We adopt stochastic models for transmission outcomes and characterize the distribution of controller location and the covariance of system states. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed architecture has the potential to give better performance than limiting control calculations to be carried out at a fixed node.