Data fusion for ground moving target tracking

The aim of ground surveillance is the large scale, continuous and near real time determination of a dynamical ground picture. This task comprises detection and tracking of moving single targets and convoys, mobile weapon systems, and military equipment. The sensors of choice are airborne Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) radar and synthetic aperture radar (SAR). As ground target tracking often suffers from dense target situations, high clutter, and low visibility, the integration and fusion of external background information is essential for providing precise and continuous tracks. We present Multi Hypotheses techniques for tracking several targets in complex ground situations with clutter. Methods to incorporate topographic information, in particular digital road maps, are described and demonstrated. (C) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.