On Scientific Realism and Instrumentalism in Manoeuvring Target Modelling and Tracking

Abstract

On Scientific Realism and Instrumentalism in Manoeuvring Target Modelling and Tracking The basic problem of tracking manoeuvring moving objects (e.g. aircrafts, ships) lies in unpredictability of object manoeuvres, with respect to the time of occurrence, duration and the type of trajectory. In this paper most representative methods of modelling and state estimation techniques applied to Manoeuvring Target Tracking (MTT) are briefly reviewed. Classification of existing approaches is made in the context of realistic and instrumentalistic paradigms of the philosophy of science. A practical example is also given that shows the impact of selecting models and estimation methods on the performance of the tracking filter for Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar.