Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation

The Boeing Company

James Donald Paduano

John Brooke Wissler

Jae-Woo Choi

David A Mindell

Michael D Piedmonte

Jason Christopher Ryan

John Tylko

Terrence McKenna

Martin Kearney-Fischer

Fabrice Kunzi

Jessica Edmonds Duda

Andrew Musto

John Allee

Joshua Torgerson

Boris Abramov

Wendy Feenstra

William Robert Bosworth

Adam Woodworth

Riley C Griffin

Amanda Kaufman

Paul Nils Dahlstrand

Jeffery Saunders

Konstantine Fetfatsidis

Kevin Uleck

Sachin Jain

Jeffrey Saunders

An aircrew automation system that provides a pilot with high-fidelity knowledge of the aircraft's physical state, and notifies that pilot of any deviations in expected state based on predictive models. The aircrew automation may be provided as a non-invasive ride-along aircrew automation system that perceives the state of the aircraft through visual techniques, derives the aircraft state vector and other aircraft information, and communicates any deviations from expected aircraft state to the pilot.

Aircrew automation system and method

A system for registering multiple point clouds captured by an aircraft is disclosed. The system includes a speckle generator, at least one three-dimensional (3D) scanner, and a processor coupled thereto. In operation, the speckle generator projects a laser speckle pattern onto a surface (e.g., a featureless surface). The at least one 3D scanner scans the featureless surface to generate a plurality of point clouds of the featureless surface and to image at least a portion of the laser speckle pattern. The processor, which is communicatively coupled with the at least one 3D scanner, registers the plurality of point clouds to generate a complete 3D model of the featureless surface based at least in part on the laser speckle pattern.

Laser speckle system and method for an aircraft

An automated inspection system for monitoring a manufacturing process includes a core platform to operatively connect a plurality of systems or subsystems via one or more interfaces. A sensor system operatively coupled with the core platform to monitor one or more characteristics of a manufactured article. An actuation system operatively coupled with the core platform to implement the manufacturing process based on instruction from the core platform. The core platform is configured to receive a first measurement of the one or more characteristics of a composite article from the sensor system after application of a plurality of layers of one or more raw materials; receive data regarding a second measurement of the one or more characteristics from the sensor system after curing the composite article; and generate an alert in response to a determination that a defect exists in the composite article based on the first or second measurement.

Systems and methods to automate composite manufacturing quality checks

A system and method for tracking non-cooperative obstacles during operation of a vehicle is provided. The system may include a radar system, an optical sensor, and a processor. The radar system can be coupled to the vehicle and configured to scan a first airspace and generate radar information having a first resolution. The optical sensor can be coupled to the vehicle and configured to image a second airspace and generate optical information at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution, where the second airspace is within said first airspace and includes a non-cooperative obstacle. The processor can be configured to identify the non-cooperative obstacle within the first airspace based at least in part on the radar information, and direct the optical sensor toward a location of the non-cooperative obstacle using the radar information.

System and method for detecting obstacles in aerial systems

The subject disclosure relates an aerial system to track a detected obstacle. The aerial system may comprise a plurality of aircraft, an aircraft storage system to house the plurality of aircraft, an aircraft controller in communication with each of a tracking system and the plurality of aircraft. In operation, one or more of the plurality of aircraft may engage the detected threat. At least one of the plurality of aircraft may include a target neutralization device to strike the detected threat.

Aerial vehicle interception system

A LIDAR system for vehicle operation that can operate in degraded visual environments (DVE) is described. The LIDAR system may use a spatial light modulator to find the phase conjugate of the DVE being traversed by the laser beam and cancel out the backscatter from the DVE, which allows the detection of extremely small numbers of directly reflected photons reflected by a target surface. If the target is not detected, the LIDAR is iteratively scanned to its maximum available depth of focus until the target is acquired. The LIDAR system is especially useful for autonomous landing of VTOL aerial vehicles in locations where the target landing spot is approximately known but cannot be directly visualized due to DVE media, such as smoke, dust, fog, or the like.

System and method to reduce DVE effect on lidar return

The subject disclosure relates to a simulation system having an aircraft, a local wireless transceiver, and a simulation computer. The aircraft may include an onboard wireless transceiver and a flight controller operatively coupled with an onboard sensor payload to perceive a physical environment and to generate position and pose data. The simulation computer may be configured to communicate wirelessly with the aircraft via the local wireless transceiver. In operation, the simulation computer may be configured to generate one or more virtual reality sensor inputs and to receive the position and pose data from the aircraft. The simulation computer can be configured to transmit the one or more virtual reality sensor inputs to the flight controller of the aircraft.

Virtual reality system for aerial vehicle

The subject disclosure relates to a tracking system to mount to an aircraft and to image and track a target aircraft. The tracking system may include a structured light source operatively coupled to a processor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) operatively coupled with the processor, a mirror to steer light from the light source toward the target aircraft, and a stereo-vision system having a first camera and a second camera. The IMU may be configured to generate position data representing a position of the aircraft. The stereo-vision system may be operatively coupled to the processor and configured to determine a 3D position of the target aircraft as a function of the position data. The processor may be configured to adjust the mirror position as a function of a mirror position.

Aerial vehicle imaging and targeting system

An autonomous vehicle is improved with a navigational system having both cameras and echolocation sensors. The cameras and echolocation sensors may be part of an optical and echolocation system, respectively, that may work in conjunction with, for example, a global positioning system to determine a course for the autonomous vehicle to reach an objective while detecting and avoid obstacles along the course.

Autonomous vehicle navigation system and method

Disclosed is an aerial vehicle having a reduced noise signature. The aerial vehicle may be a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle comprises an airframe and a plurality of rotors operatively coupled with one or more motors. The plurality of rotors may comprise a first, second, third, and fourth rotor. Each of the first, second, third, and fourth rotors may be arranged in a single plane and oriented to direct thrust downward relative to the airframe. In certain aspects, at least two of the plurality of rotors employ a different geometry to generate a targeted noise signature.

Systems and methods for reducing the propeller noise

An aircraft, system, and method for sensing and/or releasing chemical agents by an aircraft is disclosed. The aircraft, system, and method may employ a chemical sensor, a wind sensor, an imaging device for capturing environmental features, and/or a processor operably coupled therewith. The processor may be used for collecting data from the chemical sensor, the wind sensor, and the imaging device to identify a navigational waypoint and to provide commands to the chemical sensor or to the aircraft based at least in part on collected data.

Chemosensing autonomy system for a vehicle

The present disclosure is directed to scanning radar reflector systems, methods, and apparatuses; even more particularly to a system, method, and apparatus for scanning and reflecting a radar beam transmitted by a radar transmitter onboard an aerial vehicle with radar reflectors equipped on unmanned aerial vehicles. The radar reflection system may include one or more unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with a one or more axis gimbal upon which a radar reflector is mounted. A user may position the unmanned aerial vehicle and the radar reflector to target a specific region for radar scanning.

System and method to reflect radar using aircraft

An actuation system to manipulate an interface in an aircraft having an actuation controller, a vision system, a robotic arm, and a housing. Each of the vision system and the robotic arm assembly may be operatively coupled to the actuation controller. The vision system may be configured to optically image a display device of the preexisting interface, while the robotic arm assembly may be configured to engage a user-actuable device of the preexisting interface. The housing can be configured to affix to a surface adjacent the preexisting interface, where each of the vision system and the robotic arm assembly are coupled to the housing. In operation, the actuation controller may be configured to instruct the robotic arm assembly based at least in part on data from the vision system.

System and method for providing in-cockpit actuation of aircraft controls

An autonomous aerial vehicle includes a flight controller and a mission manager in communication with the flight controller. The flight controller is configured to navigate the autonomous aerial vehicle. The mission manager is configured to receive mission data. The mission data identifies both a landing zone and a designated touchdown zone located within the landing zone. The mission manager is further configured to provide flight control data to the flight controller. The flight control data causes the flight controller to navigate the autonomous aerial vehicle to a predetermined distance from the landing zone. The mission manager is further configured to determine, subsequent to the autonomous aerial vehicle reaching the predetermined distance, whether landing at the designated touchdown zone is feasible. The mission manager is further configured, in response to determining that landing at the designated touchdown zone is not feasible, to identify an alternate touchdown zone located within the landing zone for landing the autonomous aerial vehicle.

Autonomous cargo delivery system

An aircrew automation system and method for use in an aircraft. The aircrew automation system comprises one or more processors, an optical perception system, an actuation system, and a human-machine interface. The optical perception system monitors, in real-time, one or more cockpit instruments of the aircraft visually to generate flight situation data. The actuation system mechanically engages at least one flight control of the aircraft in response to the one or more flight commands. The human-machine interface provides an interface between a human pilot and the aircrew automation system. The human-machine interface comprises a display device to display a status of the aircraft and the actuation system.

Growing community of inventors

Boston, MA, United States of America

James Donald Paduano