Landing Port Compatibility Display for Urban Air Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for aerial vehicles, particularly Urban Air Mobility (UAM) vehicles, lack the necessary situational awareness for safe landing operations, especially under zero visibility conditions and when landing on elevated platforms, as they do not provide adequate information about the compatibility of the vehicle's weight with the landing port's capacity.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that determine the current position and gross weight of the aircraft, identify suitable landing ports based on this information, and display compatibility indicators, including elevation and weight support parameters, to ensure safe landing operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pilot manually evaluates landing port compatibility, then the landing operation can be performed, but the situational awareness and safety under zero visibility conditions is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors aircraft weight, position, and landing port parameters, then provides real-time feedback to the pilot through the display device. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures the pilot has current compatibility information without manual evaluation, improving both safety and situational awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor acts as an intermediary between the aircraft systems and the pilot, automatically comparing aircraft parameters with landing port capabilities and presenting the compatibility assessment. This intermediary function eliminates the need for manual pilot evaluation while maintaining informed decision-making.
2Loss of information
If the system displays detailed landing port parameters, then the situational awareness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complexity by separating the automated computation function (processor) from the display function (display device). The processor handles complex parameter comparisons and compatibility assessments, while the display device presents simplified visual information to the pilot, distributing complexity across system components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically gathering aircraft weight and position data, retrieving landing port parameters, and computing compatibility without pilot intervention. This automation reduces the operational burden on the pilot while providing comprehensive information.
3Reliability
If the system automatically determines landing port compatibility, then the safety is improved, but the loss of pilot decision-making autonomy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback that empowers rather than replaces pilot decision-making. By presenting clear compatibility information and visual indicators, the system enables the pilot to make informed decisions with enhanced situational awareness, maintaining autonomy while improving safety through better information availability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are methods of displaying compatibility between an aircraft and a landing port, the method comprising: determining a current position of the aircraft and a gross weight of the aircraft; determining a landing port based on the current position of the aircraft; receiving a set of parameters associated with the determined landing port; determining an elevation of the determined landing port and a gross weight supported by the determined landing port at least based on the received parameters; determining whether the aircraft is compatible with the landing port at least based on the determined elevation of the determined landing port and by comparing a gross weight of the aircraft with the gross weight supported by the determined landing port; and causing display on a display device of the aircraft of an indication of the determination of whether the aircraft is compatible with the landing port.