α-β target tracking systems: a survey

This paper is a survey of the α-β target tracking process: historical developments and significant estimation and control concepts. The α-β filter is a popular algorithm for radar/target tracking and is often integrated with missile intercept systems. The algorithm is simple: virtually anyone can understand its operation, use it and it works virtually all the time. With this premise, this survey paper addresses fundamental control concepts such as stability, noise reduction, transient response, order reduction, maneuver idenification, noise estimation, track fusion, prediction/smoothing and adaptive tracking. As a survey guide, this paper considers the following questions: Where/when was the first significant reported α-β target tracker and what was its technical message? Why do Radar/Systems Engineers like to use the α-β target tracker? How do Radar/Systems Engineers view the α-β target tracker function? How do Control Engineers view the α-β target tracker function? One of the first relationship found between the α and β parameters was β=α²/(2-α); how many other relationships are there and which one is right? The noise reduction ratio is a useful performance measure; what simple performance does optimal target tracker have? Can one improve the α-β target tracker performance? And if so, how much of an improvement? Can the α-β target tracker be self-tuned? Can multiple α-β target trackers be efficiently fused?