RELATIVE NAVIGATION AND MACHINE VISION FOR AUTOMATED AERIAL REFUELING SYSTEM AND METHOD

A system (100) and method (500) for Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR) combining unrelated capabilities to provide a high integrity solution to boom manipulation and insertion to couple with a receiver receptacle. Precise positioning systems on each aircraft coupled via data link (140) provide a high...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author ROPERS, Michael A
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
French
German
Published 01.02.2023
Subjects
AIRCRAFT
ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
AVIATION
COSMONAUTICS
EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT
FLYING SUITS
PARACHUTES
PERFORMING OPERATIONS
TRANSPORTING
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Summary:A system (100) and method (500) for Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR) combining unrelated capabilities to provide a high integrity solution to boom manipulation and insertion to couple with a receiver receptacle. Precise positioning systems on each aircraft coupled via data link (140) provide a high integrity relative positioning solution generating a requisite integrity for positioning yet insufficient for boom insertion. High definition cameras (124) onboard the tanker provide multi-wavelength remote vision digital images used to identify the boom fitting (402) as well as the receptacle (254). Combined with boom position information from the tanker (110), the system determines pixel position inputs from stereo digital images to precisely identify the boom (130) and receptacle (254) and manipulate the boom to insert the boom fitting (402) into the receptacle (254). Constant camera generated feedback and updated relative positioning alerts the system and disconnects the boom should the receiver aircraft (150) stray outside the proper position.
Bibliography:Application Number: EP20190215380