A Coordinated Search Algorithm for a Lost Target on the Plane

Concepts in search theory have developed since World War II. The study of search plans has found considerable interest among searchers due to its wide applications in our life. Searching for lost targets either located or moved is often a time-critical issue, especially when the target is very important . In many commercial and scientific missions at sea, it is of crucial importance to find lost targets underwater. We illustrate a technique known as coordinated search, that completely characterizes the search for a randomly located target on a plane. The idea is to avoid wasting time looking for a missing target. Two searchers or robots start from the center of a circle to search out a lost target, the first searcher looks for the target on the right side of the circular area, and the second one looks for it on the left side. The time taken to detect the target is obtained by assuming the target’s position has a symmetric distribution. The procedures to facilitate the detection of the target are presented as an algorithm and as a flowchart. An application demonstrates the applicability of this search technique and the associated decrease in search cost. Its effectiveness is illustrated by numerical results, which indicates considerable promise.