Real-time visual tracking using correlation techniques

A real-time correspondence based tracking algorithm is detailed. The system uses a pipeline processor, a general purpose processor, a camera and a display. The Minimum Noise and Correlation Energy (MINACE) filter is used in the tracking algorithm as it provides a good combination of speed, accuracy and flexibility for the targeted hardware system. The system designed is fast and tracking is accomplished at a rate of 15 hz. The system is adaptive and does not rely on a previous model of the object; the training image for filter synthesis is acquired from previous image frames and the filter is synthesized online to accommodate 3-D variations of the target being tracked. The system tracks an object consistently as is demonstrated by the low deviation of the results in the evaluation. The correlation filter-based tracking algorithm has proved to be useful in our research in cooperative mobile robots. A visual servoing system has been implemented using this tracking algorithm for convoying of multiple mobile robots