A Probabilistic Framework for Multi-modal Multi-Person Tracking

Neal Checka, Kevin W. Wilson, Vibhav Rangarajan, Trevor Darrell

Abstract: In this paper, we present a probabilistic tracking framework that combines sound and vision to achieve more robust and accurate tracking of multiple objects. In a cluttered or noisy scene, our measurements have a non-Gaussian, multi-modal distribution. We apply a particle filter to track multiple people using combined audio and video observations. We have applied our algorithm to the domain of tracking people with a stereo-based visual foreground detection algorithm and audio localization using a beamforming technique. Our model also accurately reflects the number of people present. We test the efficacy of our system on a sequence of multiple people moving and speaking in an indoor environment.