Extended target tracking using joint probabilistic data association filter on X-band radar data

X-band Marine radar systems are low-cost tools for monitoring multiple targets in a surveillance area. Although they may suffer from several sources of interference, high resolution measurements in both space and time can be provided. Such features offer the opportunity to get accurate information not only about the targets´ kinematics, as other conventional sensors, but also about the targets´ extent. In this paper, a signal processing chain composed by a detector and a joint probabilistic data association tracker is proposed to address the problem of tracking using X-band Marine radar data. Estimations of both the targets´ kinematics, i.e. positions and velocities, and length and width, are provided. The performance assessment, conducted on real data acquired by an X-band Marine radar located in the Gulf of La Spezia, Italy, demonstrates the ability of the processing chain to obtain high tracking performance with a limited computational burden.