Observation Fusion: Moving-Object Tracking Thread

OWS-8 Observation Fusion:
Moving-Objects Tracking Sub-thread

The 2009-2010 OGC Fusion Standards Study (see OGC 09-138 and OGC 10-184) offered several recommendations to advance an open standards basis for fusion in a distributed information environment. The Sponsor Organizations selected the following Sensor Fusion recommendations to be addressed in OWS-8:

• Fusion of motion imagery from airborne and ground based platforms.
• Recognition and characterization of observed objects/features and events.

OWS-8 Tracking Team

Tracking Objectives

• Starting from MISB and NATO standards, adapt the concept of tracking moving objects captured in a video or radar signal stream, into the OGC framework.
• Create a linear track feature from the sequence of points identified with a tracked object in the video or radar stream.
• Use the track feature as a “bookmark” associated with the video or radar stream, so user may return to the source data from the track feature.
• This requires the implementation of:
  • - a Sensor Observation Service (SOS) to store MISB 0601.4 and EG0903.0 video metadata,
  • - a Web Feature Service (WFS) to store a GML representation of tracks based on the NATO STANAG 4676 data model, and
  • - a Web Processing Service (WPS) designed to use the SOS to generate track data and insert that data into a WFS transaction.

OWS-8 Tracking Engineering Reports

These Engineering Reports are publicly available, see the Deliverables Page on this website. Most component deliverables are prototypes, not available for commercial use. These will all be maintained for at least a few months after the testbed. Contact the relevant participant organization or OGC staff if questions.

Tracking Results

• OWS-8 produced an integration concept that allows processing GMTI, VMTI and 4676 data using OGC web services and OGC data exchange models.
• Next Steps:
  • - VMTI detection metadata encoded as EG0903.0 can be represented with flat structure for OGC SOS. But EG0903.2 uses chip run-length encoding, which needs hierarchical structure for detections, frame information, etc. Continuing evolution of EG0903 may drive further innovations in OGC metadata structure.
  • - This testbed implemented a subset of STANAG 4676 concepts in GML. Complete STANAG 4676 representation is needed, as well as support for topological dependencies between the identified feature types such as track points, segments, and the tracks themselves.
  • - Enable and determine the association of additional related evidence with each track frame.
  • - Develop standard property type definitions, as well as mapping between all MISB and STANAG observables, and OGC encoded observables.
  • - Develop a standard means for retrieval of still and motion imagery based on time and geographic constraints.
  • - Experiment and test the current tracking advances based on VMTI to be sure they work with GMTI track data and evidence retrieval.
  • - Integrate track tools with available simulated 4676 track data as it evolved from points, segments, etc. into track features, for better understanding of track life cycle, and implementation guidance.

Demo 1 –Tracking Scenario Overview

Demo 2 - Moving Object Tracking Process Flow

• Sequence of events:
  1. SOS: VMTI (motion imagery detections) is stored in an SOS to allow spatio-temporal query. Video is also stored in SOS.
  2. WPS gets detections input from SOS and outputs tracks (in NITS 4676 format). These are transacted into a WFS, which implements the 4676 data model as a feature type.
  3. SWE Client can access tracks from the WFS, and track “evidence” from the SOS.
  4. MO Bookmarks provide a convenient mechanism to associate tracks with the motion imagery from which they were derived.
  5. CSW catalogs all services and MO Bookmarks (which will probably be implemented as a new information type in OWS Context).
  6. Tracking/notification service is tied to the WFS to notify subscribers of moving objects moving into a subject area of interest.

Demo 3 – Tracking Event Notifications

Demo 4 – Mobile Tracking Client

Demo 5 - Track Fusion Information Model