Use of map information for tracking targets on airport surface

A generic and novel approach for integrating airport map information with sensor measurements in the track estimation process is proposed and evaluated. The surface restrictions imposed by the network of roads, taxiways, and runways, represented by a simplified geometric model, are included in both the target observation and the dynamic models, to derive the target state estimates. The performance of the methods proposed is illustrated in representative airport surface scenarios, taking as a reference for comparison other tracking alternatives such as VS-IMM (variable structure interacting multiple model estimator) ground target tracking, or standard ones that do not make use of ground information.