# Visual Tracking with Intermittent Visibility: Switched Control Design and Implementation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.08144 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.08144/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 12 Nov 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [FalconWing: An Ultra-Light Indoor Fixed-Wing UAV Platform for Vision-Based Autonomy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.01383/) (2025)
- [FalconTrack: Photorealistic Auto-Labeled Perception and Physics-Aware Vision-Based Aerial Tracking](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.29783/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This paper addresses the problem of visual target tracking in scenarios where a pursuer may experience intermittent loss of visibility of the target. The design of a Switched Visual Tracker (SVT) is presented which aims to meet the competing requirements of maintaining both proximity and visibility. SVT alternates between a visual tracking mode for following the target, and a recovery mode for regaining visual contact when the target falls out of sight. We establish the stability of SVT by extending the average dwell time theorem from switched systems theory, which may be of independent interest. Our implementation of SVT on an Agilicious drone [1] illustrates its effectiveness on tracking various target trajectories: it reduces the average tracking error by up to 45% and significantly improves visibility duration compared to a baseline algorithm. The results show that our approach effectively handles intermittent vision loss, offering enhanced robustness and adaptability for real-world autonomous missions. Additionally, we demonstrate how the stability analysis provides valuable guidance for selecting parameters, such as tracking speed and recovery distance, to optimize the SVT's performance.