A greedy assignment algorithm and its performance evaluation

For operations in the Arctic, drift ice can be a major hazard. To be able to mitigate this, it is essential to know the position of viable threats. Many sensors can be employed, such as satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), marine radar, air surveillance et cetera. At the core of the fusion of this sensor data is a Multi-Target Tracking (MTT) problem. This problem is studied in this paper through the implementation and application of the Multiple Hypothesis Tracking (MHT) algorithm. A major limiting factor in the application of multi-target tracking is scalability. A common method of handling the scaling is clustering, which separates the MHT filter into smaller independent parts. However, with growing scale, the association of sensor data to the “right” cluster can become resource intensive in itself. A method is explored, based on rectangular lower probability bounds, to efficiently index the clusters and compartmentalize the measurement update of the MHT. The method uses the bounding box of the lower probability bound of tracks and reports respectively, to perform an intersection lookup against the sensor field-of-view, efficiently selecting clusters of relevance. The method, as well as the MHT algorithm, has been implemented and published online under an open-source license. In this report, the implementation is described and tested on simulated data for statistics. Further, it is tested against data extracted from the polarimetric classification of ice using satellite imagery of the Arctic. Results show that computational speed improvements can be achieved, in comparison to the linear complexity of a naive search, but that comparable performance can be obtained using standard database lookups.

The multiple hypothesis tracker (MHT) is a popular algorithm for solving multi-target tracking (MTT) problem in cluttered environment. It is known as a maximum a posterior (MAP) estimator which enumerates all possible global hypotheses and dedicates to find the most likely solution based on the received reports. However, its practical application is often limited by the complexity of data association step. This paper describes an efficient MHT data association algorithm which based on the “track-oriented” MHT framework. The proposed approach translates the data association problem to the maximum weight independent set problem (MWISP) and introduces a graph representation to describe the track hypotheses and the compatibility restrictions between them. In this way, the MAP assignment in tracking application can be solved by applying max-product belief propagation (MPBP) inference algorithm to the corresponding graph. Empirical results demonstrate that the MPBP-MHT algorithm outperforms other algorithms in tracking performance even in challenging closely-spaced MTT case.

The focus of this paper is to present the results of our investigation and evaluation of various shared-memory parallelizations of the data association problem in multitarget tracking. The multitarget tracking algorithm developed was for a sparse air traffic surveillance problem, and is based on an Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) state estimator embedded into the (2D) assignment framework. The IMM estimator imposes a computational burden in terms of both space and time complexity, since more than one filter model is used to calculate state estimates, covariances, and likelihood functions. In fact, contrary to conventional wisdom, for sparse multitarget tracking problems, we show that the assignment (or data association) problem is not the major computational bottleneck. Instead, the interface to the assignment problem, namely, computing the rather numerous gating tests and IMM state estimates, covariance calculations, and likelihood function evaluations (used as cost coefficients in the assignment problem), is the major source of the workload. Using a measurement database based on two FAA air traffic control radars, we show that a coarse-grained (dynamic) parallelization across the numerous tracks found in a multitarget tracking problem is robust, scalable, and demonstrates superior computational performance to previously proposed fine-grained (static) parallelizations within the IMM.

This paper presents a method to track multiple moving humans using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radar. UWB radar can complement other human tracking technologies, as it works well in poor visibility conditions. Our tracking approach is based on a point process interpretation of the multi-path UWB radar scattering model for moving humans. Based on this model, we present a multiple hypothesis tracking (MHT) framework for tracking the ranges and velocities of a variable number of moving human targets. The multi-target tracking (MTT) problem for UWB radar differs from traditional applications because of the complex multipath scattering observations per target. We develop an MHT framework for UWB radar-based multiple human target tracking, which can simultaneously solve the complex observation clustering and data association problems using Bayesian inference. We present experimental results in which a monostatic UWB radar tracks both individual and multiple human targets to estimate target ranges and velocities, even with changing numbers of targets across radar scans.

In this paper we describe a novel data association algorithm, termed m-best S-D, that determines in O(mSkn/sup 3/) time (m assignments, S/spl ges/3 lists of size n, k relaxations) the (approximately) m-best solutions to an S-D assignment problem. The m-best S-D algorithm is applicable to tracking problems where either the sensors are synchronized or the sensors and/or the targets are very slow moving. The significance of this work is that the m-best S-D assignment algorithm (in a sliding window mode) can provide for an efficient implementation of a suboptimal multiple hypothesis tracking (MHT) algorithm by obviating the need for a brute force enumeration of an exponential number of joint hypotheses. We first describe the general problem for which the m-best S-D applies. Specifically, given line of sight (LOS) (i.e., incomplete position) measurements from S sensors, sets of complete position measurements are extracted, namely, the 1st, 2nd, ..., mth best (in terms of likelihood) sets of composite measurements are determined by solving a static S-D assignment problem. Utilizing the joint likelihood functions used to determine the m best S-D assignment solutions, the composite measurements are then quantified with a probability of being correct using a JPDA-like (joint probabilistic data association) technique. Lists of composite measurements from successive scans, along with their corresponding probabilities, are used in turn with a state estimator in a dynamic 2-D assignment algorithm to estimate the states of moving targets over time. The dynamic assignment cost coefficients are based on a likelihood function that incorporates the "true" composite measurement probabilities obtained from the (static) m-best S-D assignment solutions. We demonstrate the merits of the m-best S-D algorithm by applying it to a simulated multitarget passive sensor track formation and maintenance problem, consisting of multiple time samples of LOS measurements originating from multiple (S=7) synchronized high frequency direction finding sensors.

A new approach for multitarget detection and tracking with Doppler ambiguity is presented. Ambiguous Doppler measurements, in addition to the position measurements, are directly used in data association and tracking. Based on the unscented Kalman filter (UKF), the multiple hypothesis tracking (MHT) algorithm and the probabilistic data association (PDA) algorithm, three different methods for solving the ambiguity, independent of the choice of particular pulse repetition frequency (PRF) values, in the tracking level are proposed. First, the UKF is modified to handle explicitly the ambiguous Doppler measurement. It is shown that the modified UKF can achieve better tracking performance than the standard UKF. On the other hand, the MHT and PDA algorithms, both of which are usually used to solve the measurement-to-track association problem, are modified here to handle the Doppler ambiguity problem. Simulations are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new algorithms.

An LP-based algorithm for the data association problem in multitarget tracking

This paper deals with the problem of multi-target tracking in a distributed camera network using the square-root cubature information filter (SCIF). SCIF is an efficient and robust nonlinear filter for multi-sensor data fusion. In camera networks, multiple cameras are arranged in a dispersed manner to cover a large area, and the target may appear in the blind area due to the limited field of view (FOV). Besides, each camera might receive noisy measurements. To overcome these problems, this paper proposes a novel multi-target square-root cubature information weighted consensus filter (MTSCF), which reduces the effect of clutter or spurious measurements using joint probabilistic data association (JPDA) and proper weights on the information matrix and information vector. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can efficiently track multiple targets in camera networks and is obviously better in terms of accuracy and stability than conventional multi-target tracking algorithms.

The paper presents a new approach to improve the detection and tracking performance of a track-while-scan (TWS) radar. The contribution consists of three parts. In Part 1 the scope of various papers in this field is reviewed. In Part 2, a new approach for integrating the detection and tracking functions is presented. It shows how a priori information from the TWS computer can be used to improve detection. A new multitarget tracking algorithm has also been developed. It is specifically oriented towards solving the combinatorial problems in multitarget tracking. In Part 3, analytical derivations are presented for quantitatively assessing, a priori, the performance of a track-while-scan radar system (true track initiation, false track initiation, true track continuation and false track deletion characteristics). Simulation results are also shown.

In this paper, we propose a CNN model based spermatozoa motility analysis, which is an important part of complete semen analysis. Sperm motility analysis is a good example of a multiple object tracking and video surveillance problem when viewed from engineering viewpoint. Our proposed system takes the video and images from a CCD camera, applies the front edge preprocessing tasks that uses uses CNN algorithms for spatial enhancement and preparation of image frames, combined with an appropriately designed cost function and a greedy assignment algorithm, that determines the objects-spermatozoa, traces their trajectories and classifies the obtained information for the use of biologists. The system composed of a digital CCD camera connected to the evaluation system. Here we showed the results by a simulation software running under a PC system. For the determination of sperm cells and and tracking the trajectories, we utilized the heuristic rules deduced from the dynamics of spermatozoa and investigation of the video obtained from real samples.

In multi-target tracking, Multiple Hypothesis Tracking (MHT) can effectively solve the data association problem. However, traditional MHT can not make full use of motion information. In this work, we combine MHT with Interactive Multiple Model (IMM) estimator and feature fusion. New algorithm greatly improves the tracking performance due to the fact that IMM estimator provides better estimation and feature information enhances the accuracy of data association. The new algorithm is tested by tracking tropical fish in fish container. Experimental result shows that this algorithm can significantly reduce tracking lost rate and restrain the noises with higher computational effectiveness when compares with traditional MHT.

Multi static radar systems offer advantages over mono static systems due to spatial diversity. Since each receiver can produce a detection, multiple detections are generated from a single target. Without a proper fusion strategy, this may lead to redundant tracks. Plot fusion, where detections are fused before tracking, enables the tracker to operate as in a mono static setting. While plot fusion has been explored for single target cases, prior works do not address the data association problem in multi target tracking. In this study, a new plot fusion scheme is proposed to associate detections from different receivers that originate from the same target. Time of Arrival and Time Difference of Arrival measurement models are analyzed both individually and in combination. The environment includes clutter, increasing the likelihood of false alarms and missed detections. A multi Bernoulli filter is used for tracking, and performance is evaluated using the Optimal Subpattern Assignment metric. Results show that Time of Arrival based models achieve more stable and accurate tracking.

We study an online task assignment problem for multi-robot systems where robots can do multiple tasks during their mission and the tasks arrive dynamically in groups. Each robot can do at most one task from a group and the total number of tasks a robot can do is bounded by its limited battery life. There is a payoff for assigning each robot to a task and the objective is to maximize the total payoff. A special case, where each group has one task and each robot can do one task is the online maximum weighted bipartite matching problem (MWBMP). For online MWBMP, it is known that, under some assumptions on the payoffs, a greedy algorithm has a competitive ratio of 1 over 3. Our key result is to prove that for the general problem, under the same assumptions on the payoff as in MWBMP and an assumption on the number of tasks arising in each group, a repeated auction algorithm, where each group of tasks is (near) optimally allocated to the available group of robots has a guaranteed competitive ratio. We also prove that (a) without the assumptions on the payoffs, it is impossible to design an algorithm with any performance guarantee and (b) without the assumption on the task profile, the algorithms that can guarantee a feasible allocation (if one exists) have arbitrarily bad performance in the worst case. Additionally, we present simulation results depicting the average case performance of the repeated greedy auction algorithm.

Given a set of target detections over several time periods, this paper addresses the multitarget tracking (MTT) problem of optimally assigning detections to targets and estimating the trajectory of the targets over time. MTT has been studied in the literature via predominantly probabilistic methods. In contrast, we propose the use of mixed integer optimization (MIO) along with relaxations and local-search-based heuristic algorithms that are: scalable, as they provide near optimal solutions for six targets and ten time periods in milliseconds to seconds; general, as they make no probabilistic assumptions on the detection process; robust, as they can accommodate missed and false detections of the targets; and easily implementable, as they use at most two tuning parameters. We evaluate the performance of the new methods using a novel metric for the complexity of an instance, and find that they provide high quality solutions both reliably and quickly for a large range of scenarios, resulting in a promising approach to the area of MTT.

최근 소셜 네트워크 서비스가 급속히 증가함에 따라 많은 기업들과 사용자들은 자신들의 정보가 더욱 빠르게 확산되길 바란다. 이러한 소셜 네트워크에서의 정보 확산을 연구하기 위하여 많은 알고리즘들이 제안되었는데 그중 대표적인 알고리즘은 그리디 알고리즘(Greedy Algorithm)과 휴리스틱 알고리즘(Heuristic Algorithm)이다. 하지만 그리디 알고리즘의 경우 복잡성으로 인하여 실제 소셜 네트워크에 사용이 제한적이며, 기존 휴리스틱 기반의 메시지 전파 기법의 경우 균일한 소셜 네트워크 환경을 고려하였기 때문에 현재 소셜 네트워크의 특성을 반영한 연구가 요구된다. 이에 본 논문에서는 휴리스틱 알고리즘 기반의 정보 확산 확률과 노드 연결성을 고려한 정보 확산 능력 최대화 알고리즘을 제안하고, 실제 소셜 네트워크 데이터베이스를 이용하여 제안 알고리즘의 성능을 분석하였다. 그 결과 기존 알고리즘이 비해 더 많은 노드를 활성화 시킬 수 있어 정보 확산 능력을 향상시킬 수 있음을 확인하였다. Recently, with the proliferation of social network services, users and many companies hope that their information spread more faster. In order to study the information diffusion in the social networks, many algorithms such as greedy algorithm and heuristic algorithm have been proposed. However, the greedy algorithm is too complicated to use in real-life social network, and the heuristic algorithms have been studied under the uniform distribution of diffusion probability, which is different from the real social network property. In this paper, we propose an heuristic information diffusion maximization algorithm based on diffusion probability and node degree. For performance evaluation, we use real social network database, and it is verified that our proposed algorithm activates more active nodes than existing algorithms, which enables faster and wider information diffusion.