Aircraft-Mounted Camera Calibration for Flexible Wing Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft-mounted cameras on flexible wings experience translational and rotational motion due to vibration, leading to decreased accuracy in image correlation for stereoscopic object detection.
Innovation Solution
Calibration targets are positioned on fixed portions of the aircraft body, and cameras capture visual data of both the flight environment and these targets to determine offsets, allowing for adjustment of the visual data to account for wing movement, thereby improving image correlation and object detection accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cameras are mounted on flexible wings for stereoscopic object detection, then the field of view and detection capability are improved, but the image correlation accuracy deteriorates due to wing vibration and motion
Solution Approach 1:
A calibration target is introduced as an intermediary object that appears in the field of view of both cameras. This target serves as a common reference point that allows the system to measure and compensate for relative camera displacement caused by wing flexing, thereby maintaining image correlation accuracy despite the flexible mounting surface
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts calibration parameters based on measured offsets between the calibration target positions in each camera's image. By calculating and applying correction factors for camera position and orientation, the system compensates for vibration-induced displacements and maintains accurate stereoscopic detection
2Adaptability or versatility
If cameras are mounted on opposite sides of the aircraft body for stereoscopic detection, then the object detection capability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to calibration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration system is designed to be self-calibrating by using the calibration target that is already present in the aircraft structure. The system automatically captures images of the target, calculates offsets, and adjusts parameters without requiring external calibration equipment or manual intervention, thereby reducing operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration target is pre-positioned on the aircraft body at locations that ensure it appears in the field of view of both cameras during normal operation. This preliminary placement eliminates the need for complex real-time calibration procedures and simplifies the overall system setup
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft can include an aircraft body. The aircraft can include a wing, which can include a first wing tip and a second wing tip. The first wing tip and the second wing tip can be located on wing on opposite sides of the aircraft body. A camera can be located on the wing. The camera can have a field of view. The field of view including a portion of the flight environment and a portion of the aircraft body. The fields of view can be less than 180 degrees. The aircraft can include a calibration target. The calibration target can be located in the field of view. In some arrangements, the camera can be part of a stereoscopic camera system.