Nonlinear Kinematics for Improved Helicopter Tracking

This paper compares the tracking performance that can be achieved when using a nonlinear drag model for a helicopter, a constant drag motion model, and a baseline constant acceleration model. A particle filter is used for state estimation to address problems associated with nonlinear drag and nonlinear measurements of helicopter pose. We demonstrate that the inclusion of this nonlinear kinematic effect provides improved tracking performance for a manoeuvring target