Aircraft Runway Image Validation for Predicted Landing Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned aircraft systems lack an efficient method to validate the predicted landing location on a runway, which can lead to incorrect landings due to changes in the aircraft's position or environmental factors.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising cameras attached to an aircraft that capture images of a runway, with an aircraft computing system identifying common features, determining changes in feature locations, and predicting the landing location. The system can abort the landing if the predicted location is not suitable relative to the runway.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the aircraft uses traditional navigation systems for landing, then the system complexity is low, but the landing location accuracy deteriorates due to inability to account for real-time position changes and environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary validation system consisting of cameras and image processing algorithms that act as a mediator between the traditional navigation system and the landing decision. The system captures images of the runway, identifies common features across multiple images, calculates predicted landing locations, and validates whether the predicted location is appropriate. This intermediary layer adds real-time visual verification without completely replacing the traditional navigation system, thus improving accuracy while managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical navigation and landing validation methods with a vision-based system. Instead of relying solely on inertial navigation systems and pre-programmed landing zones, the system uses image capture, feature detection, and computational algorithms to dynamically determine and validate landing locations. This substitution enables real-time adaptation to environmental factors and position changes, significantly improving measurement precision.
2Reliability
If the aircraft implements vision-based landing validation, then the landing safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional cameras and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the computing system multi-functional by having it perform both traditional navigation tasks and vision-based landing validation. The same processing units that handle flight control and navigation are also used to process camera images, identify features, calculate predicted landing locations, and make validation decisions. This approach improves reliability through additional validation capabilities while avoiding the need for completely separate dedicated hardware for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-validation by using its own camera system to capture images, process them through feature detection algorithms, calculate predicted landing locations, and independently verify whether the landing is safe. The aircraft essentially validates its own landing trajectory and location without requiring external validation systems, improving reliability while managing device complexity through self-contained functionality.
3Measurement precision
If the system processes multiple images to predict landing location, then the measurement precision improves, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing multiple images during the approach phase before the actual landing decision point. By accumulating image data in advance and processing them to identify common features and calculate predicted landing locations, the system prepares validation information ahead of time. This allows for more accurate measurements while managing processing time by distributing the computational load across the approach sequence rather than concentrating it at the critical moment.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes one or more cameras configured to attach to an aircraft and capture a plurality of images. The plurality of images includes a first image including a runway and a subsequently captured second image including the runway. The system includes an aircraft computing system configured to identify common features in the first and second images, determine changes in locations of the common features between the first and second images, and determine a predicted landing location of the aircraft in the second image based on the changes in locations of the common features. The aircraft computing system is configured to abort landing on the runway based on the predicted landing location relative to the runway.