On-board, computerized landing zone evaluation system for aircraft
First Claim
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1. A landing zone evaluation system for evaluating a landing zone for an aircraft, the landing system evaluation system comprising:
- a plurality of sensor systems that comprise;
a lidar scanning system that continuously scans the landing zone as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone;
a camera system comprising one or more cameras pointed at the landing zone for continuously capturing image data of the landing zone as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone; and
an inertial navigation system (INS); and
an on-board computer system that is on-board the aircraft, wherein the on-board computer system is in communication with the plurality of sensor systems, and wherein the on-board computer system is programmed to;
continuously generate updated registered point clouds as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone based on data from the plurality of data systems, including data from the lidar scanning system and data from the INS;
continuously geometrically analyze points in the registered point clouds corresponding to the landing zone'"'"'s terrain as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone to identify potential landing sites in the landing zone, wherein the geometric analysis comprises;
determining points in the registered point clouds that correspond to a ground surface of the landing zone;
identifying whether or not there are one or more above-ground objects in the landing zone based on clusters of points above the ground surface in the registered point clouds; and
identifying low-deviation, generally level planes in the landing zone, continuously semantically analyze points in the registered point cloud corresponding to the landing zone'"'"'s terrain as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone, based on data from the plurality of sensor systems, including the image data from the camera system; and
identify one or more suitable landing sites in the landing zone based on the continuously updated geometric and semantic analysis, wherein the identification of the one or more suitable landing sites considers whether there is an above-ground object in the landing zone, the size of the aircraft, possible landing orientations for the aircraft, and a size of a low-deviation, generally level area in the landing zone.
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Abstract
A computerized, on-board flight system for an aircraft has a landing-zone evaluation system for evaluating a landing zone for the aircraft based on sensory data from numerous sensing systems, including lidar, radar, and/or various cameras, to identify potential, suitable landing sites in the landing zone. Based on data from these sensory systems, the landing-zone evaluation system geometrically and semantically evaluates the landing zone'"'"'s terrain, as well as identifies moving and stationary objects in the landing zone to identify the suitable landing sites for the aircraft.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A landing zone evaluation system for evaluating a landing zone for an aircraft, the landing system evaluation system comprising:
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a plurality of sensor systems that comprise;
a lidar scanning system that continuously scans the landing zone as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone;
a camera system comprising one or more cameras pointed at the landing zone for continuously capturing image data of the landing zone as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone; and
an inertial navigation system (INS); andan on-board computer system that is on-board the aircraft, wherein the on-board computer system is in communication with the plurality of sensor systems, and wherein the on-board computer system is programmed to; continuously generate updated registered point clouds as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone based on data from the plurality of data systems, including data from the lidar scanning system and data from the INS;
continuously geometrically analyze points in the registered point clouds corresponding to the landing zone'"'"'s terrain as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone to identify potential landing sites in the landing zone, wherein the geometric analysis comprises;
determining points in the registered point clouds that correspond to a ground surface of the landing zone;
identifying whether or not there are one or more above-ground objects in the landing zone based on clusters of points above the ground surface in the registered point clouds; and
identifying low-deviation, generally level planes in the landing zone, continuously semantically analyze points in the registered point cloud corresponding to the landing zone'"'"'s terrain as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone, based on data from the plurality of sensor systems, including the image data from the camera system; and
identify one or more suitable landing sites in the landing zone based on the continuously updated geometric and semantic analysis, wherein the identification of the one or more suitable landing sites considers whether there is an above-ground object in the landing zone, the size of the aircraft, possible landing orientations for the aircraft, and a size of a low-deviation, generally level area in the landing zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 19)
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9. A method for evaluating a landing zone for an aircraft as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone, the method comprising:
- sensing data with a plurality of sensor systems from the aircraft as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone, wherein the plurality of sensor systems comprises;
a lidar scanning system that continuously scans the landing zone as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone;
a camera system comprising one or more cameras pointed at the landing zone for continuously capturing image data of the landing zone as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone; and
an inertial navigation system (INS); and
continuously generating, with an on-board computer system that is on-board the aircraft and that is in communication with the plurality of sensor systems, updated registered point clouds as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone, wherein the registered point clouds are generated based on data from the plurality of data systems, including data from the lidar scanning system and data from the INS;
continuously geometrically analyzing, by the on-board computer system, points in the registered point clouds corresponding to the landing zone'"'"'s terrain as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone to identify potential landing sites in the landing zone;
wherein the geometric analysis comprises;
determining points in the registered point clouds that correspond to a ground surface of the landing zone;
identifying whether or not there are one or more above-ground objects in the landing zone based on clusters of points above the ground surface in the registered point clouds, and identifying low-deviation, generally level planes in the landing zone;
continuously semantically analyzing, by the on-board computer system, points in the registered point cloud corresponding to the landing zone'"'"'s terrain as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone, based on data from the plurality of sensor systems, including the image data from the camera system; and
identifying, by the on-board computer system, one or more suitable landing sites in the landing zone based on the continuously updated geometric and semantic analysis, wherein the identification of the one or more suitable landing sites considers whether there is an above-ground object in the landing zone, the size of the aircraft, possible landing orientations for the aircraft, and a size of a low-deviation, generally level area in the landing zone. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- sensing data with a plurality of sensor systems from the aircraft as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone, wherein the plurality of sensor systems comprises;
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17. An aircraft comprising:
- propulsion means for propelling the aircraft;
a plurality of sensor systems that comprise;a lidar scanning system that continuously scans a landing zone for the aircraft as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone;
a camera system comprising one or more cameras pointed at the landing zone for the aircraft for continuously capturing image data of the landing zone as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone; and
an inertial navigation system (INS); and
an on-board computer system that is on-board the aircraft, wherein the on-board computer system is in communication with the plurality of sensor systems, and wherein the on-board computer system is programmed to;continuously generate updated registered point clouds as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone, wherein the registered point clouds are generated based on data from the plurality of data systems, including data from the lidar scanning system and data from the INS;
continuously geometrically analyze points in the registered point clouds as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone to identify potential landing sites in the landing zone, wherein the geometric analysis comprises;determining points in the registered point clouds that correspond to a ground surface of the landing zone;
identifying whether or not there are one or more above-ground objects in the landing zone based on clusters of points above the ground surface in the registered point clouds, and identifying low-deviation, generally level planes in the landing zone;
continuously semantically analyze points in the registered point cloud as the aircraft travels toward the landing zone, based on data from the plurality of sensor systems, including the image data from the camera system; and
identify one or more suitable landing sites in the landing zone based on the continuously updated geometric and semantic analysis, wherein the identification of the one or more suitable landing sites considers whether there is an above-ground object in the landing zone, the size of the aircraft, possible landing orientations for the aircraft, and a size of a low-deviation, generally level area in the landing zone. - View Dependent Claims (18)
- propulsion means for propelling the aircraft;
Specification