Dynamic optimal sensor employment for searching an area

A system for searching from a moving platform for an object in a search area, comprising:

• a first sensor located on the moving platform;
• a coverage history array where each cell in said array represents a section of the search area;
• a trafficability database having data to be used in initializing said coverage history array;
• an elevation database having elevation data for the search area;
• means for optimizing a scan by said first sensor in response to sensor location in the search area, said coverage history array, and said elevation data;
• and
• means for updating said coverage history array with information from those cells searched in response to said scan by said first sensor.

A system for searching for an object in a search area, comprising:

• a search vehicle having a sensor;
• a computer processor associated with said search vehicle and receiving and sending signals to said sensor;
• an elevation database connected to said computer processor, said elevation database storing elevation data of the search area;
• a trafficability database connected to said computer processor, said trafficability database storing trafficability data of the search area;
• a coverage history array having a plurality of cells, each said cell representing a section of the search area, said coverage history array to be initiated with data from said trafficability database;
• whereby said search vehicle navigates the search area, said computer processor to signal said sensor when a scan is appropriate based on said coverage history array and data from said elevation database, and said coverage history array is updated in response to those cells determined to have been searched in each scan.