Passive Hyperspectral Sense-and-Avoid Range Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sense and avoid systems for vehicles, such as radar and Lidar systems, are either detectable by adversaries, expensive, large, and power-intensive, making them unsuitable for smaller platforms like UAVs, and generate large datasets difficult to process.
Innovation Solution
A method using a hyperspectral imaging system to estimate the range to objects by measuring their emission spectrum, identifying troughs and discontinuities, and referencing stored spectral data to calculate atmospheric path length, allowing for passive detection without emitting signals, enabling a lightweight, low-power system for range estimation and object classification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If radar systems are used to calculate range to objects, then range estimation capability is improved, but the platform becomes detectable by adversaries and the system becomes expensive, large, and power-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using active radar that emits signals to detect objects, the invention uses passive detection by observing the emission spectrum of objects themselves. The hyperspectral imaging system measures the natural thermal radiation emitted by objects in the 8-12 μm waveband, reversing the traditional active detection approach to achieve undetectable range estimation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical/electronic radar emission and reception system with a hyperspectral imaging system that passively measures thermal radiation. This substitution eliminates the need for high-power transmitters and complex signal processing, resulting in a lightweight, low-power system suitable for small platforms like UAVs.
2Measurement precision
If Lidar systems are used for range estimation and object classification, then measurement capability is improved, but the system becomes costly to install and operate and generates very large datasets which are difficult to process
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential spectral information needed for range estimation and object classification from the emission spectrum. By focusing on specific spectral features in the 8-12 μm waveband and comparing them with a library of known spectral signatures, the system avoids generating and processing large datasets while maintaining accurate measurement capability.
3Measurement precision
If radar or Lidar systems are used, then range estimation capability is improved, but the system becomes expensive, large, and power-intensive making it unsuitable for smaller platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces high-power radar and Lidar systems with a passive hyperspectral imaging system that measures natural thermal radiation. This substitution dramatically reduces power consumption and system size, making range estimation capability available for small platforms like UAVs without requiring large energy budgets.
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 undetectable range estimation and object classification using a compact, low-power system, suitable for smaller vehicles, with a low false alarm rate and efficient data processing, effectively differentiating between clear sky, clouds, terrain, and intruder aircraft.
Implementation Method 1
measuring the emission spectrum of the object using the hyperspectral imaging system; The emission spectrum of the object may be measured in the 8 to 12 μm waveband
Implementation Method 2
identifying at least one trough and/or discontinuity in the emission spectrum; searching a storage means storing spectral radiances and/or wavelengths of troughs and/or discontinuities, each with an associated known atmospheric path length
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method suitable for use in a sense and avoid system of a vehicle having a hyperspectral imaging system, the method comprising: estimating the range to an object from the vehicle, wherein estimating the range comprises: measuring the emission spectrum of the object using the hyperspectral imaging system; identifying at least one trough and/or discontinuity in the emission spectrum by subtracting the measured emission spectrum from a perfect blackbody emission spectrum; and searching a storage means storing spectral radiances and/or wavelengths of troughs and/or discontinuities, each with an associated known atmospheric path length, for the corresponding spectral radiance and/or wavelength of the identified at least one trough and/or discontinuity in order to estimate the atmospheric path length, and consequently the range, between the object and the vehicle. The present invention also provides a sense and avoid system for performing the same method.