Feature ArticleSimultaneous Detection and Tracking: A
Cognitively Inspired Approach Air Force Research Laboratory
Hanscom Air Force Base Efficient target tracking is one of the
key capabilities necessary for the successful performance of
most core military functions. Target tracking refers to the
estimation of the speed and position of an object—such as a
person, a vehicle or a ship—over time using one or several
sensors. The ideal type of sensor depends on the environment,
and it is often beneficial to use several sensor types to
extract maximum information. This introduces an additional
computational burden of integrating information from multiple
and diverse sensors. Additional problems involved in target
tracking include the detection and classification or
identification of potential targets—the task known as track
initiation. Detection is complicated by the fact that objects
are rarely encountered alone in the environment. They always
exist in some context, consisting of other possible targets and
irrele