Multi-Target Tracking with Partially Unresolved Measurements

The problem of limited sensor resolution, although usually ignored in target tracking, occurs in multi-target scenarios whenever the target distance falls below the size of the sensor resolution cell. Typical examples are the surveillance of aircraft in formation, and convoy tracking for ground surveillance. Ignoring the limited sensor resolution in a tracking system may lead to degraded tracking performance, in particular unwanted track-losses. In this paper, an extension of the resolution model by Koch and van Keuk to the case of arbitrary object numbers is discussed. The model is incorporated into the Joint Probabilistic Data Association Filter (JPDAF) and applied to a simulated scenario with partially unresolved targets.