A robust real-time image algorithm for moving target detection from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)

We propose a real time method for moving target detection from a camera embedded on a UAV. As the camera is moving, we must estimate the background motion in order to compensate it and then perform the moving target detection. This compensation is realized by an image registration method. For this, we use an hybrid method using global minimization and feature-based approaches, with a pyramidal implementation. The good results obtained for registration give us the potential moving targets. As some wrong detections still appear, due to noise, occlusions or local change of illuminations, we worked on a robust spatio-temporal tracker able to decide if potential targets are real moving targets or not. The algorithm must reach real time performances for VGA images at 30 fps with a standard PC.We have tested our method on different sequences and show the good results obtained thanks to the high precision in the image registration and the spatio-temporal tracker.