NSF: Optimal Distributed Estimation over Shared Networks

A class of collision channels to model the effect of simultaneous transmissions is considered. In this approach, the problem, from the point of view of each sensor, is recast as one of designing an optimal remote estimation system across a new class of erasure links, and in the presence of communication costs. A connection to optimal quantization theory will be investigated to obtain effective numerical optimization algorithms. The proposed approach also leads to a new class of optimal quantization problems for which the cost is non-uniform across representation symbols. We explore how the ideas above can be used to find the optimal solution to particular cases of the problem.

Optimal Distributed Estimation over Shared Networks is a three-year, $387K grant.