Autonomous Aircraft Pushback via Engine-Off Taxi and Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft pushback processes are time and labor-intensive, often resulting in delays due to congestion and the need for extensive ground personnel and equipment, especially when aircraft must be maneuvered in reverse without clear visibility for the pilot.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing an engines-off taxi system equipped with various sensors and monitoring devices to enable autonomous reverse ground travel and optimized turning, allowing the pilot to safely maneuver the aircraft away from the terminal, turn, and proceed forward with minimal ground assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional tug-based pushback is used with ground personnel monitoring, then safety can be maintained through visual monitoring, but turnaround time increases and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical visual monitoring system operated by ground personnel with an automated electronic monitoring system comprising sensors, cameras, and computer processing. This substitution eliminates the need for manual monitoring while maintaining safety, directly resolving the contradiction between safety and turnaround time.
Solution Approach 2:
The aircraft is equipped with its own monitoring system that autonomously detects obstacles and communicates with the cockpit, enabling the aircraft to monitor itself without external ground personnel. This self-service capability reduces labor requirements and speeds up the pushback process while maintaining safety standards.
2Reliability
If multiple ground personnel are deployed to monitor and direct pushback, then collision avoidance is improved, but labor requirements and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring function is segmented into multiple independent sensor units (cameras, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors) distributed around the aircraft, each handling specific zones. This segmentation allows automated monitoring without requiring coordinated human teams, reducing operational complexity while maintaining comprehensive collision avoidance coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the human-operated monitoring and communication system with an automated electronic system that uses sensors to detect obstacles and transmits information to the cockpit. This eliminates the complexity of coordinating multiple ground personnel while maintaining effective collision avoidance.
3Reliability
If tow vehicles and ground equipment are used for pushback, then aircraft can be moved safely in reverse, but equipment availability becomes a bottleneck and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft uses its own engine thrust and integrated monitoring system to perform pushback independently, eliminating dependence on external tow vehicles and ground equipment. This self-service capability removes equipment availability as a bottleneck, directly improving productivity while maintaining safe reverse movement through the monitoring system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the pushback function from the traditional tug-based system and transfers it to the aircraft's own propulsion and monitoring systems. By taking out the dependency on external equipment, the system eliminates the productivity bottleneck caused by equipment availability while preserving safe reverse movement capabilities.
4Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If ground personnel continuously monitor the environment during pushback, then obstacle detection is improved, but time consumption and labor intensity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual monitoring by ground personnel with an automated sensor system including cameras, LIDAR, and ultrasonic sensors that continuously scan the environment. This substitution provides superior obstacle detection capability while operating autonomously, eliminating the time consumption and labor intensity associated with manual monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic monitoring system operates continuously without interruption during the entire pushback process, providing uninterrupted obstacle detection. This continuous automated monitoring surpasses manual monitoring capabilities while consuming minimal time, as the system requires no breaks, repositioning, or human reaction time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for monitoring an autonomous accelerated pushback process in an aircraft equipped with an engines-off taxi system is provided to maximize safety and facilitate the accelerated pushback process. The aircraft is equipped with a monitoring system including a number of different kinds of sensors and monitoring devices positioned to maximally monitor the aircraft's exterior ground environment and communicate the presence or absence of obstructions in the aircraft's path while the pilot is controlling the engines-off taxi system to drive the aircraft in reverse away from a terminal gate and then turn in place at a selected location before driving forward to a taxiway. The sensors and monitoring devices may be a combination of cameras, ultrasound, global positioning, radar, and LiDAR or LADAR devices, and proximity sensors located at varying heights adapted to continuously or intermittently scan or sweep the aircraft exterior and ground environment during aircraft ground movement.