diff --git a/src/LaserTag.jl b/src/LaserTag.jl
index eb086f8..66c5d5e 100644
--- a/src/LaserTag.jl
+++ b/src/LaserTag.jl
@@ -20,29 +20,23 @@ export
     LTState,
     CMeas,
     DMeas,
-    LaserTagVis,
-
-    MoveTowards,
+    LaserTagVis, MoveTowards,
     MoveTowardsSampled,
     OptimalMLSolver,
     OptimalML,
     BestExpectedSolver,
-    BestExpected,
-
-    DESPOTEmu,
-
-    gen_lasertag,
+    BestExpected, DESPOTEmu, gen_lasertag,
     cpp_emu_lasertag,
     tikz_pic,
     n_clear_cells
 
 
-const Coord = SVector{2, Int}
-const CMeas = MVector{8, Float64}
-const DMeas = MVector{8, Int}
+const Coord = SVector{2,Int}
+const CMeas = MVector{8,Float64}
+const DMeas = MVector{8,Int}
 
-const C_SAME_LOC = fill!(MVector{8, Float64}(undef), -1.0)
-const D_SAME_LOC = fill!(MVector{8, Int64}(undef), -1)
+const C_SAME_LOC = fill!(MVector{8,Float64}(undef), -1.0)
+const D_SAME_LOC = fill!(MVector{8,Int64}(undef), -1)
 
 @auto_hash_equals struct LTState # XXX auto_hash_equals isn't correct for terminal
     robot::Coord
@@ -72,16 +66,16 @@ obs_type(om::ObsModel) = obs_type(typeof(om))
 
 include("distance_cache.jl")
 
-@with_kw struct LaserTagPOMDP{M<:ObsModel, O<:Union{CMeas, DMeas}} <: POMDP{LTState, Int, O}
-    tag_reward::Float64         = 10.0
-    step_cost::Float64          = 1.0
-    discount::Float64           = 0.95
-    floor::Floor                = Floor(7, 11)
-    obstacles::Set{Coord}       = Set{Coord}()
-    robot_init::Union{Coord, Nothing} = nothing
-    diag_actions::Bool          = false
-    dcache::LTDistanceCache     = LTDistanceCache(floor, obstacles)
-    obs_model::M                = DESPOTEmu(floor, 2.5)
+@with_kw struct LaserTagPOMDP{M<:ObsModel,O<:Union{CMeas,DMeas}} <: POMDP{LTState,Int,O}
+    tag_reward::Float64 = 10.0
+    step_cost::Float64 = 1.0
+    discount::Float64 = 0.95
+    floor::Floor = Floor(7, 11)
+    obstacles::Set{Coord} = Set{Coord}()
+    robot_init::Union{Coord,Nothing} = nothing
+    diag_actions::Bool = false
+    dcache::LTDistanceCache = LTDistanceCache(floor, obstacles)
+    obs_model::M = DESPOTEmu(floor, 2.5)
 end
 
 ltfloor(m::LaserTagPOMDP) = m.floor
@@ -143,6 +137,17 @@ function POMDPs.reward(p::LaserTagPOMDP, s::LTState, a::Int, sp::LTState)
     end
 end
 
+
+# add a function to transform a LTState to a vector 
+function POMDPs.convert_s(T::Type{<:AbstractArray}, s::LTState, p::LaserTagPOMDP)
+    return convert(T, vcat(s.robot, s.opponent, s.terminal))
+end
+
+# transform a vector to a LTState
+function POMDPs.convert_s(T::Type{LTState}, v::AbstractArray{Float64}, p::LaserTagPOMDP)
+    return LTState(Coord(v[1], v[2]), Coord(v[3], v[4]), v[5])
+end
+
 POMDPs.isterminal(p::LaserTagPOMDP, s::LTState) = s.terminal
 POMDPs.discount(p::LaserTagPOMDP) = p.discount
 
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index 4a9f080..afe9cef 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@ tikz_pic(LaserTagVis(p))
 # discrete
 p = gen_lasertag()
 
+# check convert_s function 
+b0 = initialstate(p)
+s_test = rand(b0)
+v_s_test = convert_s(Vector{Float64}, s_test, p)
+s_back = convert_s(LTState, v_s_test, p)
+@test s_back == s_test
+
+
 # check observation model consistency
 rng = MersenneTwister(12)
 N = 1_000_000