  A decomposition-based coverage control scheme is proposed for multi-agent,
persistent surveillance missions operating in a communication-constrained,
dynamic environment. The proposed approach decouples high-level task assignment
from low-level motion planning in a modular framework. Coverage assignments and
surveillance parameters are managed by a central base station, and transmitted
to mobile agents via unplanned and asynchronous exchanges. Coverage updates
promote load balancing, while maintaining geometric and temporal
characteristics that allow effective pairing with generic path planners.
Namely, the proposed scheme guarantees that (i) coverage regions are connected
and collectively cover the environment, (ii) subregions may only go uncovered
for bounded periods of time, (iii) collisions (or sensing overlaps) are
inherently avoided, and (iv) under static event likelihoods, the collective
coverage regions converge to a Pareto-optimal configuration. This management
scheme is then paired with a generic path planner satisfying loose assumptions.
The scheme is illustrated through simulated surveillance missions.
