Track-To-Track Fusion Versus Central-Level Tracking

A multiple sensor tracking system can provide better performance than a single sensor

system because it can provide broader coverage and better visibility. Moreover, fusing

detections from different types of sensors can also improve the quality and accuracy of

the target estimates. Two types of architecture are commonly used in a multiple sensor

tracking system. In the first type of architecture — central-level tracking — the

detections from all the sensors are sent directly to a tracking system that maintains

tracks based on all the detections. Theoretically, the central-level tracking

architecture can achieve the best performance because it can fully use all the

information contained in the detections. However, you can also apply a hierarchical

structure with sensor-level tracking combined with track-level fusion for a multiple

sensor system. The figure shows a typical central-level tracking system and a typical

track-to-track fusion system based on sensor-level tracking and track-level fusion.

To represent each element in a track-to-track fusion system, call tracking systems

that output tracks to a fuser as sources, and call the outputted tracks from sources as

source tracks or local tracks. Call the tracks maintained in the fuser as central

tracks.