Precision GMTI tracking using road constraints with visibility information and a refined sensor model

For detecting targets moving on ground, airborne ground moving target indicator (GMTI) radar is well-suited due to its wide-area, all-weather, day/night, and real time capabilities. The generation of GMTI tracks from these data is the backbone for target identification, ground surveillance as well as traffic flow analysis. The generation of precise and continuous tracks from GMTI radar plots often is a demanding task due to terrain and technical obscuration and clutter. The exploitation of non-standard background information such as road maps and terrain information is therefore highly desirable for the enhancement of track quality and track continuity. The present paper presents a Bayesian tracking scheme that incorporates digital road-map information and a model for the clutter notch of the GMTI sensor. The significant gain in track quality and track continuity is demonstrated in a number of simulation scenarios involving Doppler blindness and terrain obscuration.