Development of an Automatic Tracking Camera System Integrating Image Processing and Machine Learning

This paper describes the development of a robust object tracking system that combines detection methods based on image processing and machine learning for automatic construction machine tracking cameras at unmanned construction sites. In recent years, unmanned construction technology has been developed to prevent secondary disasters from harming workers in hazardous areas. There are surveillance cameras on disaster sites that monitor the environment and movements of construction machines. By watching footage from the surveillance cameras, machine operators can control the construction machines from a safe remote site. However, to control surveillance cameras to follow the target machines, camera operators are also required to work next to machine operators. To improve efficiency, an automatic tracking camera system for construction machines is required. We propose a robust and scalable object tracking system and robust object detection algorithm, and present an accurate and robust tracking system for construction machines by integrating these two methods. Our proposed image-processing algorithm is able to continue tracking for a longer period than previous methods, and the proposed object detection method using machine learning detects machines robustly by focusing on their component parts of the target objects. Evaluations in real-world field scenarios demonstrate that our methods are more accurate and robust than existing off-the-shelf object tracking algorithms while maintaining practical real-time processing performance.