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Generic framework for vessel detection and tracking based on distributed marine radar image data

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Abstract

Situation awareness is understood as a key requirement for safe and secure shipping at sea. The primary sensor for maritime situation assessment is still the radar, with the AIS being introduced as supplemental service only. In this article, we present a framework to assess the current situation picture based on marine radar image processing. Essentially, the framework comprises a centralized IMM–JPDA multi-target tracker in combination with a fully automated scheme for track management, i.e., target acquisition and track depletion. This tracker is conditioned on measurements extracted from radar images. To gain a more robust and complete situation picture, we are exploiting the aspect angle diversity of multiple marine radars, by fusing them a priori to the tracking process. Due to the generic structure of the proposed framework, different techniques for radar image processing can be implemented and compared, namely the BLOB detector and SExtractor. The overall framework performance in terms of multi-target state estimation will be compared for both methods based on a dedicated measurement campaign in the Baltic Sea with multiple static and mobile targets given.

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Notes

  1. OpenCV 3.1.0: https://github.com/Itseez/opencv.git.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the crew of the BALTIC TAUCHER II for their support. We also thank our colleagues Uwe Netzband, Stefan Gewies and Carsten Becker for their helpful assistance during the measurement campaign.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Communications and Navigation, Kalkhorstweg 53, 17235, Neustrelitz, Germany

    Gregor Siegert, Julian Hoth, Paweł Banyś & Frank Heymann

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  1. Gregor Siegert
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  2. Julian Hoth
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  3. Paweł Banyś
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Correspondence to Gregor Siegert.

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Siegert, G., Hoth, J., Banyś, P. et al. Generic framework for vessel detection and tracking based on distributed marine radar image data. CEAS Space J 11, 65–79 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-018-0208-6

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