The Boeing Company

Jerry A James

David M Konyndyk

Mark Douglas Fuller

Timothy P Huang

James J Troy

Steven Craig Venema

Michael L Callaghan

Shankar N Swamy

Systems and methods for optically measuring a position of a measurement surface relative to a reference position. The system is a wireless network comprising a centrally located data acquisition computer and a multiplicity of remotely located sensor modules mounted at different locations within wireless communication range of a central receiver. Each sensor module is mounted to a clamp that is made specific to a control surface location and embedded with an RFID tag to denote clamp location. The optical components of the sensor modules are selected to enable indication of the linear position of a measurement surface relative to a reference position and then broadcast the measurement results. The broadcast results are received by the central receiver and processed by the data acquisition computer, which hosts human interface software that displays measurement data.

Method and apparatus for remote optical measurement of the position of a surface

A remote optical control surface indication system comprising mechanisms configured to engage heads of respective fasteners that attach an alignment indexing plate to a vehicular structure having a control surface coupled thereto. The system further comprises: a camera having a field of view that encompasses a portion of an end face of the control surface when the mechanisms are engaged with the fasteners and when the control surface is in a neutral position; a source of light that is activatable to project light that illuminates the end face of the control surface; a display screen comprising an array of pixels; and a computing system configured to process image data captured by the camera to determine a current position of a centerline of the end face of the control surface relative to a baseline position and control the display screen to display symbology indicating the current position relative to the baseline position.

Remote optical control surface indication system

The present invention is directed to systems, devices and methods for avoiding collisions and detecting objects proximate to a surface. In one embodiment, a system for collision avoidance includes at least one sensor adapted to sense an object above a lift device and a controller linked to the at least one sensor and linked to the drive components of the device and adapted to interrupt operation of the lift drive when the lift device approaches or touches the object. In another aspect of the invention, at least one controller is linked between at least one hand control and at least one drive adapted to move a lift device, the controller being adapted to interrupt operation of the drive when the lift device approaches or touches an object.

Lift collision avoidance system

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Jerry A James