Aircraft Bypass Trajectory Planning for Real-Time Danger Zone Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pilots face high uncertainty in decision-making during unforeseen situations due to incomplete data and lack of information about potential threats, leading to complex and potentially fatal manual trajectory alterations under time constraints.
Innovation Solution
An electronic installation determines avoidance trajectories by analyzing environmental images, calculating cost values based on predefined criteria, and providing real-time adjustments to bypass danger zones using an Eikonale propagation algorithm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the pilot manually alters the trajectory under time constraints, then the pilot can react to unforeseen situations, but the decision-making becomes complex and error-prone due to incomplete data and uncertainty
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates multiple alternative trajectories before the aircraft encounters the danger zone. During the operational phase, when a danger zone is detected, the system immediately provides pre-computed avoidance paths without requiring real-time complex calculations, enabling rapid and reliable decision-making under time constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic installation acts as an intermediary between the pilot and the complex decision-making process. It automatically processes sensor data, evaluates multiple trajectories using cost functions, and presents optimized avoidance paths to the pilot, reducing cognitive load and improving decision reliability
2Ease of operation
If the pilot relies on intuition and expertise to choose a trajectory, then the pilot can make decisions based on experience, but the slightest pilot error can be fatal under time constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically evaluating multiple trajectories using cost functions that consider fuel consumption, time, and safety. It identifies and presents the optimal avoidance trajectory without requiring the pilot to manually analyze multiple options, reducing human error while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the pilot by displaying multiple computed trajectories with their respective cost evaluations. This allows the pilot to review and select from pre-analyzed options with known performance characteristics, improving both safety and ease of operation
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system calculates multiple alternative trajectories in real-time, then the pilot has more options for avoidance, but the computational complexity and time required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs trajectory calculations in advance during the preparation phase, generating multiple alternative paths before the aircraft reaches the danger zone. During operational phase, it only needs to select from pre-computed options based on current position, dramatically reducing real-time computational requirements and time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The trajectory calculation is segmented into preparation phase (offline, comprehensive calculation of multiple paths) and operational phase (online, rapid selection from pre-computed options). This segmentation allows the system to provide multiple trajectory options without incurring real-time computational delays
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for determining avoidance trajectories of a potential danger zone (60) extending over a portion of a main trajectory (17) defined for an aircraft in an environment (12), the method comprising a preparation phase including the determination, for each of the trajectory points sampling the trajectory of the aircraft on an image, of the minimum cost trajectories connecting said trajectory point to subsequent trajectory points taken in the direction of flight of the aircraft, the method further comprising an exploitation phase including the determination of avoidance trajectories of a potential danger zone (60) identified on the trajectory of the aircraft, as a function of the position of the aircraft determined in real time and the minimum cost trajectories determined.