In this work, we propose using Gaussian processes to track an extended object or group of objects, that generates multiple measurements at each scan. The shape and the kinematics of the object are simultaneously estimated, and the shape is learned online via a Gaussian process. The proposed algorithm is capable of tracking different objects with different shapes within the same surveillance region. The shape of the object is expressed analytically, with well-defined confidence intervals.

  In this study, we consider the challenging task of tracking dynamic 3D objects with unknown shapes by using sparse point cloud measurements gathered from the surface of the objects. We propose a Gaussian process based algorithm that is capable of tracking the dynamic behavior of the object and learn its shape in 3D simultaneously. Our solution does not require any parametric model assumption for the unknown shape. The shape of the objects is learned online via a Gaussian process. The proposed method can jointly estimate the position, orientation, and the shape of the object. The inference is performed by an extended Kalman filter which is suitable for online real-time applications. Lastly, we demonstrate the initial results of a promising approach, which aims at reducing the computational complexity.

In this paper, we consider the problem of extended target tracking, where the target extent cannot be represented by a single ellipse accurately. We model the target extent with multiple ellipses and solve the resulting inference problem, which involves data association between the measurements and subobjects. We cast the inference problem into sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) framework and propose a simplified approach for the solution. Furthermore, we make use of the Rao-Blackwellization, aka marginalization, idea and derive an efficient filter to approximate the joint posterior density of the target kinematic states and target extent. Conditional analytical expressions, which are essential for Rao-Blackwellization, are not available in our problem. We use variational Bayes technique to approximate the conditional densities and enable Rao-Blackwellization.

Recent extended target tracking algorithms provide reliable shape estimates while tracking objects. The estimated extent of the objects can also be used for online classification. In this work, we propose to use a Bayesian classifier to identify different objects based on their contour estimates during tracking. The proposed method uses the uncertainty information provided by the estimation covariance of the tracker.