Optical Target Tracking by Scheduled Range Measurements

TL;DR

This paper presents a method for optical target tracking using scheduled range measurements and a UKF-IMM filter, with a focus on decoupling target states for improved maneuvering target estimation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to scheduling range measurements based on estimation error variance and derives target dynamic equations in modified spherical coordinates.

Findings

High accuracy in maneuvering target tracking

Effective range measurement scheduling improves estimation

Decoupling of target states enhances filter performance

Abstract

In this paper, optical target tracking, by regular target bearing measurements and target range in a lower and scheduled measurement rate is considered. Variance of the target range estimation error is used as scheduling criterion. For this purpose, target dynamic state vector in modified spherical coordinates is stated in such a way that all target states be decoupled from range-related target state. Target state dynamic equations in modified spherical coordinates for nearly constant velocity, nearly constant acceleration and coordinated turn rate kinematic models, are analytically derived. For resulted state dynamic equations, a UKF-IMM filter with range measurement scheduling is utilized as a tracking filter. It is shown that target states are estimated properly and applied filter has high performance in maneuvering target tracking.