Tracking and Data Fusion Applications

In many engineering applications, including surveillance, guidance, or navigation, single stand-alone sensors or sensor networks are used for collecting information on time varying quantities of interest, such as kinematical characteristics and measured attributes of moving or stationary objects of interest (e.g. maneuvering air targets, ground moving vehicles, or stationary movers such as a rotating antennas). More strictly speaking, in these applications the state vectors of stochastically moving objects are to be estimated from a series of sensor data sets, also called scans or data frames. The individual measurements are produced by the sensors at discrete instants of time, being referred to as scan or frame time, target revisit time, or data innovation time. These output data (sensor reports, observations, returns, hits, plots) typically result from complex estimation procedures themselves characterizing particular waveform parameters of the received sensor signals (signal processing). In case of moving point-source objects or small extended objects, i.e. typical radar targets, often relatively simple statistical models can be derived from basic physical laws describing their temporal behavior and thus defining the underlying dynamical system. In addition, appropriate sensor models are available or can be constructed, which characterize the statistical properties of the produced sensor data sufficiently correct. As an introduction to target tracking and data fusion applications characteristic problems occurring in typical radar applications are presented; key ideas relevant for their solution are discussed. Koch, W. (2006) Tracking and Data Fusion Applications. In Advanced Radar Signal and Data Processing (pp. 9-1 – 9-36). Educational Notes RTO-EN-SET-086, Paper 9. Neuilly-sur-Seine, France: RTO. Available from: http://www.rto.nato.int/abstracts.asp. RTO-EN-SET-086 9 1 Report Documentation Page Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE 01 SEP 2006 2. REPORT TYPE N/A 3. DATES COVERED 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Tracking and Data Fusion Applications 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER