Deep data association for online multi-class multi-object tracking

A system for applying video data to a neural network (NN) for online multi-class multi-object tracking includes a computer programed to perform an image classification method including the operations of receiving a video sequence; detecting candidate objects in each of a previous and a current video frame; transforming the previous and current video frames into a temporal difference input image; applying the temporal difference input image to a pre-trained neural network (NN) (or deep convolutional network) comprising an ordered sequence of layers; and based on a classification value received by the neural network, associating a pair of detected candidate objects in the previous and current frames as belonging to one of matching objects and different objects.