Extended Target Tracking Under Multitarget Tracking Framework for Convex Polytope Shapes

This paper discusses the problem of extended target tracking for a single 2D extended target with a convex polytopic shape and known dynamics. Extended targets produce multiple measurements for a single frame. One of the major challenges in extended tracking is the joint uncertainty in the shape and the kinematics of the target. Another challenge is the lack of visibility due to self occlusion in targets with a finite extent (as opposed to zero extent for point targets). To address these challenges, we develop a framework for tracking single (or widely separated) extended targets. This framework is based on the existing point multitarget tracking framework by modelling different parts of extended targets as separate targets. An algorithm is developed using the proposed framework for tracking convex - shaped targets. The proposed shape function consists only of the boundary of the target since the center may not be observable . The algorithm is capable of dynamically changing the number of parameters used to describe the shape as more parts of the target become visible over time. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated for various scenarios using root mean square error (RMSE) of velocity, center, and intersection over union (IoU) metrics