Fast and effective multiple moving targets tracking method for mobile robots

We describe a tracker that provides real-time visual feedback using on-board low-cost processors. The proposed tracker is based on the two stage visual tracking method (TSVTM) which consists of a real-time kernel, image saver, database, and vision module. The real-time kernel based on the earliest-deadline-first scheduling policy provides the capability of processing tasks with time constraints within the deadline. Image saver takes the responsibility for keeping all the incoming images until they can be processed. The database keeps both the estimated and the predictive location, velocity, intensity, etc. of each region that makes up the target. The vision module consists of two modules: the first stage vision module (FSVM), and the second-stage vision module (SSVM). The FSVM processes the whole image to initially recognize targets using the sophisticated vision algorithms while the SSVM can easily find and track them using the focus-of-attention strategy based on Kalman filter since the SSVM knows the approximated location and useful features of the targets. Combining the above four mechanisms effectively, TSVTM can track targets every one-thirtieth of a second.