Ground-Based Optical Target Tracker

The ground-based optical target tracking system is an autonomous tracker designed to be used by two or more persons. The system tracks a full-size target vehicle moving at approximately 28 kilometers per hour at distances ranging from 100 to 300 meters. The system is composed of six principal parts: a camera, a PC, a microcontroller, a motor driver, a stepper motor and a laser pointer. The camera sends target images to the PC for image processing while the target remains in the camera’s field of view. The image-processing algorithm determines changes in target position between two separate images and converts this to an angle that the pointer must move to remain pointing at the target. The microcontroller receives the angle input and converts it to a frequency value to send to the stepper driver –while incorporating error values like time delay into the final frequency. The driver reads this value and produces a frequency pulse to drive the stepper motor. The stepper motor then rotates a turntable that the pointer is mounted to. The pointer remains on the target vehicle until it exits the camera’s field of view.