Optical Grid Formation Flying Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for maintaining separation between aircraft in formation flying, especially in poor weather or for unmanned aircraft, are expensive, require significant training, emit detectable radio frequency energy, and have imprecise navigation, making them unreliable for swarming operations.
Innovation Solution
A method using a grid generator to project a relative navigation grid into space, detectable by aircraft, which allows for precise calculation of spatial relationships between aircraft, enabling accurate formation flying without the need for complex and costly systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex navigation systems with radio frequency energy emission are used, then navigation capability is improved, but detectability increases and reliability decreases due to jamming susceptibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces radio frequency-based navigation systems with an optical measurement system. The first aircraft projects optical grid lines into space, and the second aircraft detects these optical lines to determine relative position and velocity. This substitution eliminates reliance on GPS and radio frequency systems that are susceptible to jamming, thereby improving reliability while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical grid lines as an intermediary medium between the two aircraft. The grid lines serve as a visual reference framework that enables the second aircraft to calculate spatial relationships without directly communicating with the first aircraft through radio frequency signals, thus avoiding detectability and jamming issues.
2Measurement precision
If complex navigation systems are used, then navigation capability is improved, but device complexity and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex radio frequency navigation equipment with simpler optical projection and detection systems. The grid generator projects optical lines that can be detected by standard optical sensors, eliminating the need for sophisticated radio frequency transceivers and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy of the spatial reference framework by projecting optical grid lines into the environment. Instead of using complex electronic navigation systems, the system creates an optical replica of the coordinate system that can be visually tracked, simplifying the navigation approach while preserving measurement accuracy.
3Ease of operation
If visual formation flying is used, then operational simplicity is improved, but weather dependency increases and reliability decreases in poor weather
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes natural visual observation with an enhanced optical projection system. The grid generator creates artificial optical references that are visible independent of ambient lighting conditions, allowing formation flying to proceed reliably in poor weather while maintaining operational simplicity through automated optical detection rather than manual visual monitoring.
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 precise and rapid measurement of 3-dimensional relative positions between aircraft, reducing the risk of collision and improving formation flying accuracy and efficiency while minimizing detectability and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
a relative navigation grid, which may include a plurality of intersecting lines, is projected by a grid generator into space
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods (300) or flying multiple aircraft (2,4) in a predetermined formation in which a relative navigation grid (20) is emitted (302) from at least one of the aircraft (2), a spatial relationship is calculated (304) based on the emitted relative navigation grid, and a relative position of at least one aircraft is altered (308) to position the aircraft in the predetermined formation when the spatial relationship does not conform with the predetermined formation.