Enhancements to a multiple model adaptive estimator/image-tracker

Three major enhancements to a previously devised multiple model adaptive estimator (MMAE) for target image tracking are developed and analyzed. These are: allowing some of the elemental filters to have rectangular fields of view and to be tuned for target dynamics that are harsher in one direction than others; considering both Gauss-Markov acceleration models and constant turn-rate models for target dynamics; and devising an initial target acquisition algorithm to remove important biases in the estimated target template to be used in a correlator within the tracker. Particularly good adaptation responsiveness is demonstrated in the multiple model algorithm´s ability to handle harsh maneuver onset, yielding performance essentially equivalent to that of the best artificially informed tracking algorithm