On target tracking with binary proximity sensors

We consider the use of binary proximity sensors for tracking targets. Such sensors provide only 1-bit information regarding a target´s presence or absence in their vicinity, albeit with less than 100% reliability. A novel tracking method employing such binary sensors is proposed and its performance in different deployment scenarios evaluated. For a given target, the method utilizes the sensor outputs to estimate individual positions in the path of the target in the near past and finds the line which best fits the path points. This line is then used to estimate the target´s current position. A performance study has been conducted through comprehensive simulation using parameters collected from a prototype deployment consisting of wireless micro-sensors with binary acoustic detectors.