Track-Before Detect Methods in Tracking Low-Observable Targets: A Survey

In detection and target tracking applications, low-observable targets are defined as those that deliver measurements for which the sensor responses have a value of SNR lower than 10dB. Tracking of low-observable targets is best performed employing the approaches known as trackbefore-detect (TBD). The proper TBD approaches combine signal processing and tracking so that detection and track confirmation occur simultaneously. The thresholding process, in which the observations are produced, is avoided so as to preserve the weak signal information in the raw sensor data. Although a variety of TBD methods have been presented and discussed in the literature, no comprehensive and comparative study of those is yet available. This paper delivers such a discussion with the goal of facilitating proper selection of methods in the context of concrete applications.