Real-Time Vehicle Monitoring: A Unified Framework for Detection, Tracking, and Behavioural Classification

Authors

  • Z. Hussain Jumah University of Basra, Basra, Iraq.
  • A. M. Chyaid University of Basra, Basra, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26437/mqagpa72

Keywords:

Behaviour classification. DeepSORT. real-time monitoring. vehicle detection.YOLOv8

Abstract

Purpose: This paper proposes a unified framework that integrates YOLOv8s for accurate object detection and classification, DeepSORT for robust multi-object tracking, and an attention-based LSTM model for analysing temporal vehicle behaviours in urban environments.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The proposed framework was evaluated using the UAVDT dataset through a structured methodology. Initially, YOLOv8s was trained to detect and classify vehicles using appropriate preprocessing and training configurations. Subsequently, DeepSORT was employed to associate detected objects across frames and maintain consistent tracking identities. Temporal features extracted from object trajectories were then fed into the LSTM-Attention model to recognise vehicle behaviour patterns.

Research Limitations: The system’s performance may be affected by class imbalance in the dataset and challenges in recognising transitional or ambiguous behaviours in highly complex traffic scenarios. Additionally, deployment on resource-constrained UAV platforms requires further optimisation.

Findings: Experimental results demonstrate strong performance, achieving an overall detection precision of 89.8%, a recall of 75.3%, and an mAP@50 of 82.2%. The DeepSORT tracker achieved robust identity preservation with an IDF1 score of 87.9%, even in dense urban environments. Furthermore, the behaviour recognition module achieved an overall F1-score of 0.93, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed system across various behavioural scenarios.

Practical Implications: The proposed framework can be effectively deployed in intelligent transportation systems and UAV-based monitoring platforms to enhance traffic management, improve surveillance efficiency, and support real-time decision-making.

Social Implications: The system helps reduce traffic accidents by enabling early detection of risky driving behaviours and supporting smart city surveillance systems, thereby improving public safety.

Originality/Value: The novelty of this work lies in integrating detection, tracking, and temporal behaviour analysis within a single unified framework, along with the use of an attention-based LSTM for improved behaviour recognition in real-world urban traffic scenarios.

Author Biographies

  • Z. Hussain Jumah, University of Basra, Basra, Iraq.

    Zahraa Hussain Jumah  is a Postgraduate student in the Department of Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Information Technology at the  University of Basra, Basra, Iraq.

  • A. M. Chyaid, University of Basra, Basra, Iraq

    Dr. Adala M. CHYAID is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Information Technology at the  University of Basra, Basra, Iraq.

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Published

28-04-2026

How to Cite

Real-Time Vehicle Monitoring: A Unified Framework for Detection, Tracking, and Behavioural Classification. (2026). AFRICAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH, 12(3), 193-220. https://doi.org/10.26437/mqagpa72