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.
RELATIVE NAVIGATION AND MACHINE VISION FOR AUTOMATED AERIAL REFUELING SYSTEM AND METHOD
RELATIVE NAVIGATION UND MASCHINENSICHT FÜR AUTOMATISIERTES LUFTBETANKUNGSSYSTEM UND -VERFAHREN
NAVIGATION RELATIVE ET VISION ARTIFICIELLE POUR SYSTÈME AUTOMATIQUE DE RAVITAILLEMENT AÉRIEN ET PROCÉDÉ
2023-02-01
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B64D Ausrüstung für Flugzeuge , EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT |
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