Aerial Vehicle Landing Assistance System with Real-Time Obstacle Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional landing systems for aerial vehicles, particularly in urban environments, fail to provide precise situational awareness and necessary safety considerations due to challenges like low visibility, spatial disorientation, and constrained landing spaces.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that display a vehicle, intended landing zone, and real-time flight path on one or more displays, providing proximity information and alerts for obstacles, and automatically computing flight controls to modify landing if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional landing systems are used, then the system complexity is low, but the measurement precision of vehicle position and obstacle detection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary landing assistance system that includes a processor and display device. This intermediary system receives data from sensors, processes it to determine vehicle proximity to the center of the intended landing zone, and presents this information to the pilot through visual displays. The intermediary acts as a bridge between raw sensor data and pilot decision-making, enhancing measurement precision without requiring direct modification of the vehicle's core flight control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/physical landing assistance methods with electronic and optical systems. Instead of relying on physical alignment tools or mechanical guidance, the system uses sensors, processors, and display devices to provide real-time visual feedback about vehicle position and obstacle locations. This substitution of mechanical systems with electronic information processing enhances precision while managing system complexity through software-based solutions.
2Reliability
If automated flight control is added to modify landing, then the reliability of safe landing is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service automated flight control system that monitors vehicle position and obstacle data, automatically determines when corrective action is needed, and executes flight control modifications without requiring constant pilot intervention. The system serves itself by autonomously processing sensor data, making decisions about landing corrections, and executing control commands when safety requires it, thereby enhancing reliability while minimizing the complexity of human-machine interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a closed-loop feedback system where sensors continuously monitor vehicle position and obstacle locations, the processor analyzes this data to determine proximity to the landing zone center, and the system provides real-time visual feedback to the pilot through displays. When automated flight control is engaged, the system continuously monitors the effectiveness of corrective actions and adjusts control commands as needed, creating a self-correcting feedback mechanism that enhances safety while managing complexity through automated decision-making algorithms.
3Loss of information
If real-time display of flight path and proximity information is provided, then the loss of information for pilot situational awareness is reduced, but the use of energy for display systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by providing selective display of critical information rather than displaying all available sensor data. The system determines vehicle proximity to the center of the intended landing zone and selectively displays this key information along with obstacle locations. By focusing on the most critical aspects of situational awareness (vertical proximity to landing zone and horizontal obstacle positions) rather than providing complete three-dimensional position data, the system reduces information loss while minimizing energy consumption associated with processing and displaying excessive data.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for providing a safe landing for an aerial vehicle. The method may include: displaying, on one or more displays, an aerial vehicle, an intended landing zone, and a real-time flight path of the vehicle as the vehicle approaches the intended landing zone; receiving data related to one or more of the vehicle, the flight path of the vehicle, the intended landing zone, and an obstacle; determining the proximity of the vehicle relative to the center of the intended landing zone based on the received data; displaying the proximity of the vehicle relative to the center of the intended landing zone; displaying the obstacle when present; displaying an alert when the vehicle deviates in proximity to the center of the intended landing zone and/or approaches the obstacle; and upon determining a failure to respond to the alert computing flight controls to modify landing.