Sensor Validation using Bayesian Networks

One of NASA’s key mission requirements is robust state estimation. Sensing, using a wide range of sensors and sensor fusion approaches, plays a central role in robust state estimation, and there is a need to diagnose sensor failure as well as component failure. Sensor validation techniques address this problem: given a vector of sensor readings, decide whether sensors have failed, therefore producing bad data. We take in this paper a probabilistic approach, using Bayesian networks, to diagnosis and sensor validation, and investigate several relevant but slightly different Bayesian network queries. We emphasize that onboard inference can be performed on a compiled model, giving fast and predictable execution times. Our results are illustrated using an electrical power system, and we show that a Bayesian network with over 400 nodes can be compiled into an arithmetic circuit that can correctly answer queries in less than 500 microseconds on average.