Performance analysis of linearly combined order statistic CFARdetectors

Linearly combined order statistic (LCOS) constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) detectors are examined for efficient and robust threshold estimation applied to exponentially distributed background observations for improved detection. Two optimization philosophies have been employed to determine the weighting coefficients of the order statistics. The first method optimizes the coefficients to obtain efficient estimates of clutter referred to the censored maximum likelihood (CML) and best linear unbiased (BLU) CFAR detectors. The second optimization involves maximizing the probability of detection under Swerling II targets and is referred to as the most powerful linear (MPL) CFAR detector. The BLU-CFAR detector assumes no knowledge of the target distribution in contrast to the MPL-CFAR detector which requires partial knowledge of the target distribution. The design of these CFAR detectors and the probability of detection performance are mathematically analyzed for background observations having homogeneous and heterogeneous distributions wherein the trade-offs between robustness and detection performance are illustrated     

Interlaced Kalman filtering of 3D angular motion based on Euler'snonlinear equations

A novel Kalman filtering technique is presented that reduces the mean-square-error (MSE) between three-dimensional (3D) actual angular velocity values and estimated ones by an order of magnitude (when compared with the MSE resulting from direct measurements) even under extremely low signal-to-noise ratio conditions. The filtering problem is nonlinear in nature because the dynamics of 3D angular motion are described by Euler's equations. This nonlinear set of differential equations state that the angular acceleration in one axis is proportional to the torque applied to that axis, and to the products of angular velocity components in the other two axes of rotation. Instead of using extended Kalman filtering techniques to solve this complex problem, the authors developed a new approach where the nonlinear Euler's model is decomposed into two pseudolinear models (primary and secondary). The first model describes the time progression of the state vector containing the linear terms, while the other characterizes the propagation of the state vector containing the nonlinearities. This makes it possible to run two interlaced discrete-linear Kalman filters simultaneously. One filter estimates the values of the state vector containing the linear terms, while the other estimates the values of the state vector containing the nonlinear terms in the system. These estimates are then recombined, solving the nonlinear estimation process without linearizing the system. Thus, the new approach takes advantage of the simplicity, computational efficiency and higher convergence speed of the linear Kalman filter form and it overcomes many of the drawbacks typical of conventional extended Kalman filtering techniques. The high performance and effectiveness of this method is demonstrated through a computer simulation case study     

Estimation of 3D angular motion using gyroscopes and linear accelerometers

The authors present a novel, real-time angular motion estimation technique using a linear Gaussian estimator, and the outputs of linear accelerometers and gyroscopes, to assess the actual angular velocity of a rigid body in three-dimensional (3D) space. The method obtains the covariances of the random actual 3D angular velocity, the angular velocity measurement, and the measurement noise from the time averages of the outputs of an array of nine linear accelerometers and the outputs of three orthogonal gyroscopes. These statistics are used by the estimator to calculate the angular velocity of the rigid body in 3D space. The multisensor technique performance is evaluated through a computer simulation. Results indicate that the method leads to more accurate angular velocity values than are obtained conventionally.<>