Simultaneous Track-Monitoring of Multiple Mobile Airspace Objects Using Non-Collocated Video Sensors

As dense uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) operations become more prevalent, there is a growing need for ground-based monitoring of multiple heterogeneous airspace objects (including UASs, crewed aircraft, birds, and projectiles) in airspace volumes. Monitoring needs in these settings are often track- (trajectory-) centered, encompassing: 1) fast detection of objects that impinge on the airspace, 2) recording and differentiation of multiple object tracks in sensing data, 3) matching and location of the tracks in geographical coordinates using multiple sensors, and 4) real-time alarming of object conflicts and other scenarios of concern. This article reports on a distributed system for real-time track-based monitoring of multiple mobile airspace objects, which uses video cameras arranged in two or more non-collocated pods for monitoring. The distributed architecture of the monitoring system is described, and the methods/algorithms used for comprehensive track monitoring are developed. Multi-track monitoring is demonstrated in the scope of two flight campaigns involving multi-UAS operations, conducted near Fairbanks, Alaska, as well as demonstrations in Langley, Virginia and College Station, TX.