Sequential Monte Carlo methods for multitarget filtering with random finite sets

Random finite sets (RFSs) are natural representations of multitarget states and observations that allow multisensor multitarget filtering to fit in the unifying random set framework for data fusion. Although the foundation has been established in the form of finite set statistics (FISST), its relationship to conventional probability is not clear. Furthermore, optimal Bayesian multitarget filtering is not yet practical due to the inherent computational hurdle. Even the probability hypothesis density (PHD) filter, which propagates only the first moment (or PHD) instead of the full multitarget posterior, still involves multiple integrals with no closed forms in general. This article establishes the relationship between FISST and conventional probability that leads to the development of a sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) multitarget filter. In addition, an SMC implementation of the PHD filter is proposed and demonstrated on a number of simulated scenarios. Both of the proposed filters are suitable for problems involving nonlinear nonGaussian dynamics. Convergence results for these filters are also established.     

Track labeling and PHD filter for multitarget tracking

Multiple target tracking requires data association that operates in conjunction with filtering. When multiple targets are closely spaced, the conventional approaches (as, e.g., MHT/assignment) may not give satisfactory results. This is mainly because of the difficulty in deciding what the number of targets is. Recently, the probability hypothesis density (PHD) filter has been proposed and particle filtering techniques have been developed to implement the PHD filter. In the particle PHD filter, the track labeling problem is not considered, i.e., the PHD is obtained only for a frame at a time, and it is very difficult to perform the multipeak extraction, particularly in high clutter environments. A track labeling method combined with the PHD approach, as well as considering the finite resolution, is proposed here for multitarget tracking, i.e., we keep a separate tracker for each target, use the PHD in the resolution cell to get the estimated number and locations of the targets at each time step, and then perform the track labeling ("peak-to-track" association), whose results can provide information for PHD peak extraction at the next time step. Besides, by keeping a separate tracker for each target, our approach provides more information than the standard particle PHD filter. For example, in group target tracking, if we are interested in the motion of a specific target, we can track this target, which is not possible for the standard particle PHD filter, since the standard particle PHD filter does not keep track labels. Using our approach, multitarget tracking can be performed with automatic track initiation, maintenance, spawning, merging, and termination     

A formulation of multitarget tracking as an incomplete data problem

Traditional multihypothesis tracking methods rely upon an enumeration of all the assignments of measurements to tracks. Pruning and gating are used to retain only the most likely hypotheses in order to drastically limit the set of feasible associations. The main risk is to eliminate correct measurement sequences. The probabilistic multiple hypothesis tracking (PMHT) method has been developed by Streit and Luginbuhl in order to reduce the drawbacks of "strong" assignments. The PMHT method is presented in a general mixture densities perspective. The Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm is the basic ingredient for estimating mixture parameters. This approach is then extended and applied to multitarget tracking for nonlinear measurement models in the passive sonar perspective.     

混合线性/非线性模型的准高斯Rao-Blackwellized粒子滤波法

 针对混合线性/非线性模型,提出一种新的递推估计滤波算法,称为准高斯Rao-Blackwellized粒子滤波器（Q-GRBPF）。算法采用Rao-Blackwellized思想,将线性状态与非线性状态进行分离,对非线性状态运用准高斯粒子滤波（Q-GPF）算法进行估计,并将其后验分布近似为单个高斯分布,再利用非线性状态的估计值对线性状态进行卡尔曼滤波（KF）估计。将Q-GRBPF应用于目标跟踪的仿真结果表明,与Rao-Blackwellized粒子滤波器（RBPF）相比,Q-GRBPF在保证估计精度的前提下有效降低了计算复杂度,计算时间约为RBPF的58%;与Q-GPF相比,x坐标与y坐标的估计精度分别提升了45％和30％,而计算时间也节省了约30％。     

The Marginal Rao-Blackwellized Particle Filter for Mixed Linear/Nonlinear State Space Models

In this paper, the marginal Rao-Blackwellized particle filter （MRBPF）, which fuses the Rao-Blackwellized particle filter （RBPF） algorithm and the marginal particle filter （MPF） algorithm, is presented. The state space is divided into linear and non-linear parts, which can be estimated separately by the MPF and the optional Kalman filter. Through simulation in the terrain aided navigation （TAN） domain, it is demonstrated that, compared with the RBPF, the root mean square errors （RMSE） and the error variance of the nonlinear state estimations by the proposed MRBPF are respectively reduced by 29% and 96%, while the unique particle count is increased by 80%. It is also found that the MRBPF has better convergence properties, and analysis has shown that the existing RBPF is nothing more than a special case of the MRBPF.     

混合线性/非线性状态空间模型的边缘Rao-Blackwellized粒子滤波法(英文)

本文提出了边缘 Rao-Blackwellized 粒子滤波器(marginal Rao-Blackwellized particle filter, MRBPF)算法,算法融合了 Rao-Blackwellized 粒子滤波器(Rao-Blackwellized particle filter , RBPF)算法和边缘粒子滤波器(marginal particle filter, MPF)算法。算法中状态被分为线形和非线性两部分,分别用 MPF 和卡尔曼滤波器(Kalman Filter)进行估计。地形辅助导航(terrain aided navigation, TAN)的仿真结果表明,与 RBPF 相比,提出算法的非线性状态估计的误差均方根(root mean square error, RMSE)和误差方差分别降低了约 29%和 96%,独立粒子数提高了约80%,获得了更好的收敛结果。分析表明,现有RBPF是MRBPF的一个特例。     

Multitarget tracking using the joint multitarget probability density

This work addresses the problem of tracking multiple moving targets by recursively estimating the joint multitarget probability density (JMPD). Estimation of the JMPD is done in a Bayesian framework and provides a method for tracking multiple targets which allows nonlinear target motion and measurement to state coupling as well as nonGaussian target state densities. The JMPD technique simultaneously estimates both the target states and the number of targets in the surveillance region based on the set of measurements made. We give an implementation of the JMPD method based on particle filtering techniques and provide an adaptive sampling scheme which explicitly models the multitarget nature of the problem. We show that this implementation of the JMPD technique provides a natural way to track a collection of targets, is computationally tractable, and performs well under difficult conditions such as target crossing, convoy movement, and low measurement signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).     

Multitarget Bayes filtering via first-order multitarget moments

The theoretically optimal approach to multisensor-multitarget detection, tracking, and identification is a suitable generalization of the recursive Bayes nonlinear filter. Even in single-target problems, this optimal filter is so computationally challenging that it must usually be approximated. Consequently, multitarget Bayes filtering will never be of practical interest without the development of drastic but principled approximation strategies. In single-target problems, the computationally fastest approximate filtering approach is the constant-gain Kalman filter. This filter propagates a first-order statistical moment - the posterior expectation - in the place of the posterior distribution. The purpose of this paper is to propose an analogous strategy for multitarget systems: propagation of a first-order statistical moment of the multitarget posterior. This moment, the probability hypothesis density (PHD), is the function whose integral in any region of state space is the expected number of targets in that region. We derive recursive Bayes filter equations for the PHD that account for multiple sensors, nonconstant probability of detection, Poisson false alarms, and appearance, spawning, and disappearance of targets. We also show that the PHD is a best-fit approximation of the multitarget posterior in an information-theoretic sense.     

Tracking in Clutter using IMM-IPDA?Based Algorithms

We describe three single-scan probabilistic data association (PDA) based algorithms for tracking manoeuvering targets in clutter. These algorithms are derived by integrating the interacting multiple model (IMM) estimation algorithm with the PDA approximation. Each IMM model a posteriori state estimate probability density function (pdf) is approximated by a single Gaussian pdf. Each algorithm recursively updates the probability of target existence, in the manner of integrated PDA (IPDA). The probability of target existence is a track quality measure, which can be used for false track discrimination. The first algorithm presented, IMM-IPDA, is a single target tracking algorithm. Two multitarget tracking algorithms are also presented. The IMM-JIPDA algorithm calculates a posteriori probabilities of all measurement to track allocations, in the manner of the joint IPDA (JIPDA). The number of measurement to track allocations grows exponentially with the number of shared measurements and the number of tracks which share the measurements. Therefore, IMM-JIPDA can only be used in situations with a small number of crossing targets and low clutter measurement density. The linear multitarget IMM-IPDA (IMM-LMIPDA) is also a multitarget tracking algorithm, which achieves the multitarget capabilities by integrating linear multitarget (LM) method with IMM-IPDA. When updating one track using the LM method, the other tracks modulate the clutter measurement density and are subsequently ignored. In this fashion, LM achieves multitarget capabilities using the number of operations which are linear in the: number of measurements and the number of tracks, and can be used in complex scenarios, with dense clutter and a large number of targets.     

PHD filters of higher order in target number

The multitarget recursive Bayes nonlinear filter is the theoretically optimal approach to multisensor-multitarget detection, tracking, and identification. For applications in which this filter is appropriate, it is likely to be tractable for only a small number of targets. In earlier papers we derived closed-form equations for an approximation of this filter based on propagation of a first-order multitarget moment called the probability hypothesis density (PHD). In a recent paper, Erdinc, Willett, and Bar-Shalom argued for the need for a PHD-type filter which remains first-order in the states of individual targets, but which is higher-order in target number. In this paper we show that this is indeed possible. We derive a closed-form cardinalized PHD (CPHD) filter, which propagates not only the PHD but also the entire probability distribution on target number.     

A PDF multitarget tracker

A probability density function (pdf) based approach to the multitarget tracking problem is presented. The input data are obtained by measurements over time from a front-end detector. The desired output is the number of targets present and the parameters of each target. The same approach has previously been used for time delay detection and tracking problems and is adapted to this problem This approach is an alternative to the traditional approach of “association” and “tracking” on the measurements     

Multiple-Model Probability Hypothesis Density Filter for Tracking Maneuvering Targets

Tracking multiple targets with uncertain target dynamics is a difficult problem, especially with nonlinear state and/or measurement equations. With multiple targets, representing the full posterior distribution over target states is not practical. The problem becomes even more complicated when the number of targets varies, in which case the dimensionality of the state space itself becomes a discrete random variable. The probability hypothesis density (PHD) filter, which propagates only the first-order statistical moment (the PHD) of the full target posterior, has been shown to be a computationally efficient solution to multitarget tracking problems with a varying number of targets. The integral of PHD in any region of the state space gives the expected number of targets in that region. With maneuvering targets, detecting and tracking the changes in the target motion model also become important. The target dynamic model uncertainty can be resolved by assuming multiple models for possible motion modes and then combining the mode-dependent estimates in a manner similar to the one used in the interacting multiple model (IMM) estimator. This paper propose a multiple-model implementation of the PHD filter, which approximates the PHD by a set of weighted random samples propagated over time using sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods. The resulting filter can handle nonlinear, non-Gaussian dynamics with uncertain model parameters in multisensor-multitarget tracking scenarios. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed filter over single-model PHD filters.     

A measurement-driven adaptive probability hypothesis density filter for multitarget tracking

This paper studies the dynamic estimation problem for multitarget tracking. A novel gating strategy that is based on the measurement likelihood of the target state space is proposed to improve the overall effectiveness of the probability hypothesis density(PHD) filter. Firstly, a measurement-driven mechanism based on this gating technique is designed to classify the measurements. In this mechanism, only the measurements for the existing targets are considered in the update step of the existing targets while the measurements of newborn targets are used for exploring newborn targets. Secondly, the gating strategy enables the development of a heuristic state estimation algorithm when sequential Monte Carlo(SMC) implementation of the PHD filter is investigated, where the measurements are used to drive the particle clustering within the space gate.The resulting PHD filter can achieve a more robust and accurate estimation of the existing targets by reducing the interference from clutter. Moreover, the target birth intensity can be adaptive to detect newborn targets, which is in accordance with the birth measurements. Simulation results demonstrate the computational efficiency and tracking performance of the proposed algorithm.     

用于非线性跟踪问题的一种新的粒子滤波器

机动目标跟踪系统通常是非线性而且不完全观测的 ,所以问题的关键在于每一时刻的目标机动性都是高度不确定的。提出了一种新的平滑粒子滤波算法 ,该算法在粒子滤波器中加入了对系统模型的概率分布密度的平滑处理 ,从而很好的解决了目标的机动性估计问题。在仿真研究中 ,与辅助粒子滤波器的比较验证了本文算法处理非线性跟踪问题的优越性     

随机集的概率假设密度粒子滤波

多目标跟踪问题中,当目标数已知时,可以用概率数据互联(PDA)或联合概率数据互联(JPDA)算法。而当目标数未知或随时间变化时,需要对不同目标数的跟踪进行比较。可以把目标集看作随机集进行讨论,目标数N是随机变量。随机集的跟踪通过有限集统计(FISST)理论来完成。文中讨论了用粒子滤波实现跟踪随机集的方法。实验表明,在杂波环境下,粒子滤波可以稳健跟踪目标状态和目标数。     

未知测量噪声分布下的多目标跟踪算法

 粒子概率假设密度滤波(SMC-PHDF)在进行粒子更新时需要知道测量噪声的概率分布以计算似然函数,这使得SMC-PHDF依赖于测量噪声的概率模型。针对这一点不足,提出一种未知测量噪声分布下的多目标跟踪算法——基于风险评估的概率假设密度滤波(RE-PHDF)。该算法在SMC-PHDF进行概率假设密度(PHD)粒子更新时采用风险函数计算每个PHD粒子的风险值,并通过一个风险评估函数评估每个PHD粒子,然后用评估后的结果更新粒子的权值。由于粒子更新时避免了在多维测量空间中计算似然函数,算法不仅不依赖于测量噪声的概率分布,还可以节省大量计算时间。仿真结果表明：和SMC-PHDF相比,RE-PHDF在未知的复杂测量噪声环境下具有更高的鲁棒性和稳定性;同时,在两种算法跟踪精度接近的情况下,所提算法节省了50%的运行时间。     

Observer-based adaptive sliding mode backstepping output-feedback DSC for spin-stabilized canard-controlled projectiles

This article presents a complete nonlinear controller design for a class of spin-stabilized canard-controlled projectiles.Uniformly ultimate boundedness and tracking are achieved,exploiting a heavily coupled,bounded uncertain and highly nonlinear model of longitudinal and lateral dynamics.In order to estimate unmeasurable states,an observer is proposed for an augmented multiple-input-multiple-output(MIMO) nonlinear system with an adaptive sliding mode term against the disturbances.Under the frame of a backstepping design,an adaptive sliding mode output-feedback dynamic surface control(DSC) approach is derived recursively by virtue of the estimated states.The DSC technique is adopted to overcome the problem of ‘‘explosion of complexity" and relieve the stress of the guidance loop.It is proven that all signals of the MIMO closed-loop system,including the observer and controller,are uniformly ultimately bounded,and the tracking errors converge to an arbitrarily small neighborhood of the origin.Simulation results for the observer and controller are provided to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

Tracking multitarget in cluttered environment

A method for multitarget tracking and initiating tracking in a cluttered environment is proposed. The algorithm uses a sliding window of length uT (T is the sampling time) to keep the measurement sequence at time k. Instead of solving a large problem, the entire set of targets and measurements is divided into several clusters so that a number of smaller problems are solved independently. When a set of measurements is received, a new set of data-association hypotheses is formed for all the measurements lying in the validation gates within each cluster from time K-u+1 to K. The probability of each track history is computed, and, choosing the largest of these histories, the target measurement is updated with an adaptive state estimator. A covariance-matching technique is used to improve the accuracy of the adaptive state estimator. In several examples, the algorithm successfully tracks targets over a wide range of conditions     

密集杂波环境下的数据关联快速算法

基于联合概率数据互联（JPDA）的思想,提出了一种新的数据关联快速算法（Fast Al-gorithm for Data Association,简称FAFDA算法）.该方法不需象在最优JPDA算法中那样生成所有可能的联合互联假设,因而具有计算量小,易于工程实现的特点。仿真结果表明,与最优JPDA算法相比,FAFDA算法的跟踪性能令人满意,并且在密集杂波环境下可实时、有效地跟踪100批次以上的目标。