High-Mobility Multi-Target Tracking Using IMM-EKF Based Marine Radar

On modern battlefields, the radar is a key sensor for detecting and tracking various targets, and its accuracy directly affects ship survivability and operational success. However, the complex environmental factors of the actual battlefield environments make radar operations and reliable tracking more challenging. Kalman filters, commonly used for target tracking, have limitations in that if a single model is used, degrades when the target motion characteristics change rapidly over time or when multiple targets have different maneuvering characteristics. In this study, we propose an alternative approach for simultaneously tracking multiple highly maneuverable targets in radar environments. Based on an interacting multiple model (IMM) filter, we construct a model combination appropriate for the target characteristics and optimize the covariance matrix and parameters of each model. Through simulations that reflect the realistic operational environment of radar platforms on actual battlefields, we demonstrate that our proposed approach enables stable-state tracking under a variety of maneuvering conditions.