Aircraft Landing Zone Evaluation Using Lidar Radar and Cameras
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Solution Overview
Problem
Identifying a suitable landing site for aircraft within a larger landing zone without human assistance is challenging due to obstacles and varying terrain, which can interfere with the landing process.
Innovation Solution
A computerized on-board flight system that utilizes lidar, radar, and camera sensors to geometrically and semantically evaluate the landing zone, identifying suitable landing sites by generating 3D maps, detecting moving and stationary objects, and updating flight plans for autonomous aircraft or providing alerts for piloted aircraft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple sensor systems (lidar, radar, cameras) are used to evaluate the landing zone, then the reliability of landing site identification is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor systems (lidar, radar, and cameras) into a unified landing zone evaluation system. The sensor systems work together to collect complementary data about the landing zone, with lidar providing 3D spatial information, radar detecting obstacles, and cameras capturing visual details. This merging of sensors improves reliability by cross-validating measurements and providing redundant detection capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The on-board computer system performs multiple functions using the sensor data: it generates 3D maps of the landing zone, identifies and classifies obstacles, evaluates terrain suitability, and determines optimal landing sites. This multi-functional approach allows a single integrated system to handle various aspects of landing zone assessment, improving reliability while managing complexity through functional consolidation.
2Measurement precision
If geometric and semantic analysis of the landing zone is performed, then the measurement precision of landing site evaluation is improved, but the loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary geometric analysis of the landing zone terrain using lidar data to generate 3D maps and identify potential landing sites before detailed semantic analysis is conducted. This preliminary action filters out obviously unsuitable areas, reducing the scope of subsequent time-consuming semantic analysis and overall processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The landing zone evaluation is divided into separate geometric and semantic analysis components. Geometric analysis processes 3D spatial data to identify terrain features and potential landing sites, while semantic analysis separately evaluates surface characteristics and obstacle details. This segmentation allows parallel processing of different analysis types, improving measurement precision while managing time loss through efficient task distribution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safe and reliable identification of suitable landing sites by evaluating terrain and obstacles, improving the accuracy and safety of landing operations for both autonomous and piloted aircraft.
Implementation Method 1
a lidar scanning system (106) that continuously scans the landing zone as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone
Implementation Method 2
a radar system (104) that transmits from the craft high-frequency electromagnetic waves which are reflected from various objects in the environment around the craft and received back by the radar system (104)
Data Source
AI summary
A computerized, on-board flight system for an aircraft has a landing-zone evaluation system for evaluating a landing zone for the aircraft based on sensory data from numerous sensing systems, including lidar, radar, and/or various cameras, to identify potential, suitable landing sites in the landing zone. Based on data from these sensory systems, the landing-zone evaluation system geometrically and semantically evaluates the landing zone's terrain, as well as identifies moving and stationary objects in the landing zone to identify the suitable landing sites for the aircraft.