Deep Learning-Based Ground Target Detection and Tracking for Aerial Photography from UAVs

Abstract

Target detection and tracking can be widely used in military and civilian scenarios. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have high maneuverability and strong concealment, thus they are very suitable for using as a platform for ground target detection and tracking. Most of the existing target detection and tracking algorithms are aimed at conventional targets. Because of the small scale and the incomplete details of the targets in the aerial image, it is difficult to apply the conventional algorithms to aerial photography from UAVs. This paper proposes a ground target image detection and tracking algorithm applied to UAVs using a revised deep learning technology. Aiming at the characteristics of ground targets in aerial images, target detection algorithms and target tracking algorithms are improved. The target detection algorithm is improved to detect small targets on the ground. The target tracking algorithm is designed to recover the target after the target is lost. The target detection and tracking algorithm is verified on the aerial dataset.