Synchronizing subsystems includes receiving an objective and constraints at a timing module from a processor. The constraints describe subsystems that include at least one sensor. An objective function is determined in response to the objective. The objective function includes a function of time variables, where a time variable is associated with a subsystem. The objective function is optimized in accordance with the constraints to determine a time value for each time variable, and the subsystems are synchronized according to the time values. Data is received from the synchronized subsystems at the processor, and an image is generated from the data.