Optimal observer maneuver for bearings-only tracking

In bearings-only tracking, observer maneuver is critical to ensure observability and to obtain an accurate target localization. Here, optimal control theory is applied to the determination of the course of a constant speed observer that minimizes an accuracy criterion deduced from the Fisher information matrix (FIM). Necessary conditions for optimal maneuver (Euler equations) are established and resolved, partly by analytical means and partly by an iterative numerical procedure. Examples of optimal observer maneuvers are presented and discussed.