A Comprehensive Survey on Multi-Object Tracking: From Classical to Deep Learning-Based Methods

Authors

  • BATOOL B. ABOUD Department of Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq.
  • Hikmat Z. Neima Department of Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq.
  • Maytham Alabbas Department of Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29304/jqcsm.2026.18.32838

Keywords:

Deep Learning, Multi-Object Tracking (MOT), Computer Vision, Kalman Filter, Evaluation Metrics, Sensor Fusion

Abstract

Computer Vision is one of the most prominent fields within the area of artificial intelligence, as it aims to provide computers with the same visual understanding as humans.  Object detection and tracking play a critical role in the development of intelligent systems, as they allow for intelligent decision-making from the information gathered from vision systems.  Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) is one of the most challenging yet important problems within the field of computer vision.  MOT requires the system to detect and then keep track of multiple objects in a sequence of video frames.  Some of the applications of MOT include autonomous vehicles, security systems, healthcare, and sports.  The use of deep learning techniques, such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Transformers, and self-supervised learning, has improved MOT techniques.  Additionally, the fusion of deep learning and sensor data with classical methods like the Kalman and Particle Filter has created methods with a good balance between accuracy and speed.  Despite the improvements in these methods, there are still some challenges to the optimal performance of MOT algorithms.  A survey of these methods, including classical, deep learning, and hybrid methods, as well as an overview of the datasets, metrics, applications, and current state-of-the-art methods and their evaluations, is presented in this paper.

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Published

2026-09-30

How to Cite

ABOUD, B. B., Hikmat Z. Neima, & Maytham Alabbas. (2026). A Comprehensive Survey on Multi-Object Tracking: From Classical to Deep Learning-Based Methods. Journal of Al-Qadisiyah for Computer Science and Mathematics, 18(3), Comp198–213 . https://doi.org/10.29304/jqcsm.2026.18.32838

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Computer Articles