Wingtip Camera Overlay for Aircraft Ground Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft operators face difficulties in detecting obstacles during ground operations due to limited visibility, leading to potential collisions, which can result in damage and significant repair costs.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional visual indication system using cameras positioned in the winglets of an aircraft to provide a processor with video images of the field of view, allowing for the determination of the area through which the winglets will pass, and displaying an overlay to assist pilots in avoiding obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the aircraft operator relies on their sense of sight to detect obstacles, then the operator can monitor the areas surrounding the aircraft, but the operator's limited field of view and the aircraft's dimensions make it difficult to monitor extremes of the aircraft during ground operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cameras as intermediary devices positioned on the aircraft (including wingtip cameras) to capture visual information from areas that are otherwise invisible to the operator. These cameras act as mediators between the aircraft's extreme positions and the operator's limited field of view, transmitting captured images to displays in the cockpit so the operator can see obstacles in the wingtip area without directly observing them.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the operator's field of view by adding spatial dimensions through camera positioning. By placing cameras at the wingtips and other extreme positions of the aircraft, the system creates additional viewing angles and perspectives that are geometrically impossible for the operator to achieve from the cockpit position, effectively adding dimensional coverage to the monitoring capability.
2Reliability
If the aircraft has large wing sweep angles and winglets on the wingtip, then the aircraft achieves improved aerodynamic performance, but the distance from cockpit to wingtip and winglets makes it difficult for the operator to detect obstacles in the path of the wingtips
Solution Approach 1:
Cameras positioned on the wingtips serve as intermediaries that directly observe obstacles in the wingtip area and transmit this information to the operator. This allows the operator to detect obstacles at the extreme positions of the aircraft without being physically close to them, overcoming the difficulty created by the large distance between the cockpit and wingtips.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the aircraft into multiple monitoring zones by placing cameras at different locations including wingtips, nose, and tail. Each camera segment independently monitors its specific area, and the operator receives segmented visual information from each zone, making it easier to detect obstacles at any extreme position of the aircraft.
3Device complexity
If the operator only detects an obstacle when it is too late to take evasive action, then the obstacle detection system has simple design, but collisions with obstacles can damage the aircraft and put it out of service
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary obstacle detection by positioning cameras to capture images of areas ahead of the aircraft's path, including the wingtip area. The system processes these images to identify obstacles before the aircraft reaches them, providing advance warning to the operator so evasive action can be taken in time, preventing collisions rather than detecting them too late.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous visual feedback to the operator through displays in the cockpit, showing real-time or near-real-time images from cameras positioned at the wingtips and other extreme positions. This feedback loop allows the operator to continuously monitor the area around the aircraft and take corrective action as obstacles are detected, improving collision avoidance through ongoing information feedback.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed embodiments relate to methods and systems for avoiding a collision between an aircraft on the ground and an obstacle using a three-dimensional visual indication of the area or plane of winglets on the wingtips of the aircraft. The method includes receiving a video image from a camera positioned in one of the winglets, the video image representing a field of view through which the winglet of the aircraft will pass along a present heading of the aircraft. Next a processor determines a three-dimensional area or plane within the field of view through which the winglet of the aircraft will pass. An overlay is displayed within the field of view to assist the pilot in avoiding collisions with obstacles.