A Constraint Optimization Approach for the Allocation of Multiple Search Units in Search and Rescue Operations

Search and Rescue (SAR) comprises the search for and provision of aid to persons who are, or who are feared to be, in distress or in imminent danger of loss of life. Time is a crucial factor for survivors who must be found quickly and search planning may get complex in the case of a large search area and multiple search resources. The problem we address in this paper is that of defining and assigning multiple non-overlapping rectangular sub-areas to search units (search aircraft) such that the search plan is operationally feasible and the total probability of success is maximized. We present algorithms we developed for the search resources allocation problem for aeronautical SAR incidents when multiple indivisible searchers are present. These algorithms are based on classical search theory and on constraint programming. We assume that the search effort is continuous and measured by track length, that the search object is stationary and that search is conducted in discrete space. We present experimental results for a realistic SAR case overland.