Nonlinear Estimation Techniques Applied on Target Tracking Problems

This paper discusses the application of four nonlinear estimation techniques on two benchmark target tracking problems. The first problem is a generic air traffic control (ATC) scenario, which involves nonlinear system equations with linear measurements. The second study is a classical ground surveillance problem, where a moving airborne platform with a sensor is used to track a moving target. The tracking scenario is set in two dimensions, with the measurement providing nonlinear bearing-only observations. These two target tracking problems provide a good benchmark for comparing the following nonlinear estimation techniques: the common extended and unscented Kalman filters (EKF/UKF), the particle filter (PF), and the relatively new smooth variable structure filter (SVSF). The results of applying the SVSF on the two target tracking problems demonstrate its stability and robustness. Both of these attributes make use of the SVSF advantageous over other popular methods. The filters performances are quantified in terms of robustness, resilience to poor initial conditions and measurement outliers, and tracking accuracy and computational complexity. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of applying the SVSF on nonlinear target tracking problems, which in the past have typically been solved by Kalman or particle filters.