Tracking sparse objects and people in large scale environments

A system for tracking sparse objects in an environment, the system comprising:

• a) a plurality of panoramic cameras, each having a wide field of view;
• b) a plurality of zoom cameras, each having a narrow field of view which is less than the wide field of view;
• c) a plurality of adjustment mechanisms for adjusting, for each of the plurality of zoom cameras, the narrow field of view;
• and
• d) a controller configured to
• 1) Receive image information from the plurality of panoramic cameras;
• 2) Determine a position of at least one of the sparse objects within the environment;
• and
• 3) Output a control signal to control the adjustment mechanisms so that at least one of the sparse objects in the environment remains within the narrow field of view of at least one of the plurality of zoom cameras,
• wherein each of the plurality of adjustment mechanisms is a mirror located within an optical path between at least one of the sparse objects and an imager of a respective one of the zoom cameras,
• wherein the plurality of panoramic cameras, the plurality of zoom cameras and the plurality of mirrors are distributed in a plurality of units, each of the plurality of units including one of the plurality of panoramic cameras, at least one of the plurality of zoom cameras and at least one of the plurality of mirrors,
• wherein each of the mirrors is controlled by a motor, and
• wherein each of the motors controlling the mirrors is driven between exposures of its associated zoom camera.