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Infrared moving small target detection and tracking algorithm based on feature point matching

  • Regular Article - Optical Phenomena and Photonics
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Abstract

The detection and tracking of the small target in infrared video are among the most critical technologies in computer vision applications. These include video surveillance and infrared imaging precision guidance. Recently, more and more infrared small target detection and tracking algorithms have been proposed. However, most existing algorithms have complex processing problems, high false alarm rates, and low detection accuracy. To achieve accurate detection and tracking of infrared small targets, this paper proposes an algorithm for detection and tracking of infrared small targets using infrared small target feature point and gradient information. Feature point detection is used to detect possible targets, and possible targets are further processed through direction gradient calculation. Then, in the adjacent sequence images, it is matched according to the local features of adjacent frames. According to the characteristics of infrared small target motion, this paper proposes a target motion generation trajectory to verify the accuracy of the detection algorithm. Finally, compared with other algorithms, it is concluded that the algorithm in this paper has a higher detection rate and a lower false detection rate.

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Data Availability Statement

This manuscript has no associated data or the data will not be deposited. [Authors' comment: Data underlying the results presented in this paper are available in Ref. [28] and Ref. [29]]

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (Grant No. 18ZR1425800) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61775140, 61875125).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Communication and Art Design, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China

    Weihong Lin & Leihong Zhang

  2. School of Computer Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Zili Zhang

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  1. Weihong Lin
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WL and ZZ made the equal contribution to the article.

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Correspondence to Weihong Lin.

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Lin, W., Zhang, Z. & Zhang, L. Infrared moving small target detection and tracking algorithm based on feature point matching. Eur. Phys. J. D 76, 185 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/s10053-022-00505-4

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