Tracking Algorithm with Adaptive Bandwidth of Kernel Function for UAV Autonomous Aerial Refueling

The use of machine vision to track the receiver aircraft’s receptacle is one of the key steps in automated aerial refueling. Traditional Meanshift tracking algorithm’s kernel bandwidth is fixed, when the target size changes, it will produce with the bias even with the loss of the situation. Aiming at this problem, this paper proposes a kernel bandwidth adaptive algorithm based on corner matching. First, use backward tracking method to amend the core window center. Then according to the Harris algorithm to detect the corner, use small-scale approach for the two points between frames to match and regression analysis, namely determine the update parameters of nuclear window width. Experiments show that the algorithm can track the target accurately when the size of tracking target change, and the kernel window width can be better suited to the target size.