Improved Multiple Target Tracking via Global Motion Compensation and Optoelectronic Correlation

Camera motion estimation in image sequences generally focuses on the recovery of the frames when the camera is mounted on a moving platform. Global motion in video sequences is more complex and involves camera operation, camera motion, and other nontarget motions. Global motion compensation is usually handled by compensating the dominant motion using estimation and segmentation techniques. To enhance tracker performance and accuracy, frame recovery operation plays a crucial role by estimating undesired motion. In this paper, a normalized correlation-based regional template-matching (TM) algorithm has been developed to accurately recover frames before the application of the tracking algorithm. Then, a robust multiple-target-tracking system has been developed using a combination of fringe-adjusted joint transform correlator and TM techniques. Joint transform correlation detects a target optoelectronically, while TM technique is performed digitally. To increase the tracking system speed and decrease the effects of clutter, a subframe segmentation and local deviation-based image-preprocessing algorithm has been proposed. The improved performance of multiple-target-tracking system is tested using real-life forward-looking infrared (IR) imagery video sequences obtained from IR sensors mounted on an airborne platform