A Gaussian Mixture Filter for Near-Far Object Tracking

The near-far object tracking (NFOT) problem concerns the tracking of an extended object consisting of a set of resolvable sources that, due to finite sensor resolution, appears as a single point when at long range from the sensor. A Gaussian mixture filter for this problem is presented for the case of a linear object comprising a known number of sources. The filter structure is a combination of the probabilistic data association (PDA) filter and the multiple simultaneous measurement filter. The filter takes into account the uncertainty concerning the object´s structure and orientation, as well as the presence of false alarms. Simulations for an open-loop pursuit scenario are presented that compare the performance of the filter with another Gaussian mixture filter that does not consider sensor resolution