A thermal infrared target tracking based on multi-feature fusion and adaptive model update

Abstract

Thermal infrared target tracking has attracted increasing attention from researchers due to its unique imaging advantages. In response to common issues encountered in correlation filtering algorithms during the tracking process, such as background clutter, distractors, and occlusion, a framework for improving infrared target tracking is proposed. This paper proposes to extend multi-channel stepped grayscale features and optimize the feature set, fully leveraging the complementarity between multiple features and enhancing their ability to represent tracking targets. The tracking results are evaluated using the peak energy of the position weighted average, enabling an adaptive model update that improves the algorithm's ability to resist occlusion. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on the LSOTB-TIR and PTB-TIR infrared tracking datasets in terms of precision, success rate, and processing speed. In addition, the algorithm is also experimented on a self-collected dataset. The experimental results indicate that the proposed optimization framework can be integrated into correlation filtering trackers with a certain level of applicability. The improved algorithm demonstrates effective handling of various complex infrared scenarios and interferences, achieving high-precision and real-time tracking of infrared targets.