Object detection and tracking using computer vision (CV) techniques have been widely applied to sensor fusion
applications. Many papers continue to be written that speed up performance and increase learning of artificially
intelligent systems through improved algorithms, workload distribution, and information fusion. Military
application of real-time tracking systems is becoming more and more complex with an ever increasing need of
fusion and CV techniques to actively track and control dynamic systems. Examples include the use of metrology
systems for tracking and measuring micro air vehicles (MAVs) and autonomous navigation systems for controlling
MAVs. This paper seeks to contribute to the determination of select tracking algorithms that best track a moving
object using a pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) camera applicable to both of the examples presented. The select feature
generation algorithms compared in this paper are the trained Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and
Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF), the Mixture of Gaussians (MoG) background subtraction method, the Lucas-
Kanade optical flow method (2000) and the Farneback optical flow method (2003). The matching algorithm used in
this paper for the trained feature generation algorithms is the Fast Library for Approximate Nearest Neighbors
(FLANN). The BSD licensed OpenCV library is used extensively to demonstrate the viability of each algorithm and
its performance. Initial testing is performed on a sequence of images using a stationary camera. Further testing is
performed on a sequence of images such that the PTZ camera is moving in order to capture the moving object.
Comparisons are made based upon accuracy, speed and memory.
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