Comparison and choice of models in tracking target with coordinated turn motion

Coordinated turn (CT) models used for target tracking are highly dependent on the choice of the state components. Four widely used models are compared in this paper augmented coordinated turn (ACT) model with Cartesian velocity, ACT model with polar velocity, coordinated turn model using a kinematic constraint and maneuver centered circular motion model. The first two are nonlinear, so the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) is used. The third one uses a kinematic constraint as a pseudo measurement, which avoids the state model to be nonlinear. The last one has a linear form, but the maneuver center should be determined accurately, which is a nonlinear problem in essence. Through Monte-Carlo simulations, the models' computational load and tracking performance are compared, and the suggestions on the choice of models for different practical target tracking problems are given.