Dislocation detection in field environments: A belief functions contribution

Dislocation is defined as the change between discrete sequential locations of critical items in field environments such as large construction projects. Dislocations on large sites of materials and critical items for which discrete time position estimates are available represent critical state changes. The ability to detect dislocations automatically for tens of thousands of items can ultimately improve project performance significantly. Detecting these dislocations in a noisy information environment where low cost radio frequency identification tags are attached to each piece of material, and the material is moved sometimes only a few meters, is the main focus of this study. We propose in this paper a method developed in the frame of belief functions to detect dislocations. The belief function framework is well-suited for such a problem where both uncertainty and imprecision are inherent to the problem. We also show how to deal with the calculations. This method has been implemented in a controlled experimental setting. The results of these experiments show the ability of the proposed method to detect materials dislocation over the site reliably. Broader application of this approach to both animate and inanimate objects is possible.