SAFE-IMM: Robust and Lightweight Radar-Based Object Tracking on Mobile Platforms

Abstract

Tracking maneuvering targets requires estimators that are both responsive and robust. Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) filters are a standard tracking approach, but fusing models via Gaussian mixtures can lag during maneuvers. Recent winnertakes-all (WTA) approaches react quickly but may produce discontinuities. We propose SAFE-IMM, a lightweight IMM variant for tracking on mobile and resource-limited platforms with a safe covariance-aware gate that permits WTA only when the implied jump from the mixture to the winner is provably bounded. In simulations and on nuScenes front-radar data, SAFE-IMM achieves high accuracy at real-time rates, reducing ID switches while maintaining competitive performance. The method is simple to integrate, numerically stable, and clutter-robust, offering a practical balance between responsiveness and smoothness.