Detect and avoid function for UAVs: presentation of an EO/IR sensor solution

Dominique Maltese; Julien Farjon

doi:10.1117/12.2559461

15 May 2020 Detect and avoid function for UAVs: presentation of an EO/IR sensor solution

Dominique Maltese, Julien Farjon

Proceedings Volume 11407, Infrared Technology and Applications XLVI; 1140713 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2559461
Event: SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing, 2020, Online Only

Abstract

RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) also named UAV (Unmanned Air Vehicle) are today limited by the lack of adapted regulation and equipment. Above all, current UAV are not able to assume the “see and avoid” principle required for all manned aircraft flying in non-segregated airspace though strong interest exists for long range beyond line of sight mission such as infrastructure surveillance. In order to allow integration in all airspaces, detect and avoid function shall deal with cooperative intruders, such as aircraft equipped with transponders and non-cooperative ones. This paper addresses the use of Electro Optical sensors for the purpose of a non-cooperative sense function. Electro optical or infrared sensors suite commonly provides accurate angular and angular rates measurements, while having low SWAP. Therefore, it makes them attractive for medium and small size UAV as a primary non-cooperative sensor or in addition, with a range finding device such as low size, weight and power radar. In that way, SAFRAN has developed an Eo/IR sensor demonstrator dedicated to the Detect and Avoid function. The demonstrator includes sets of cameras, built-in multi-scale image processing and tracking processing to detect and track intruders in cluttered environments. It transmits typical outputs to the fusion or avoidance function. In this paper, experimental results obtained from flight trials are provided in order to illustrate demonstrator performances when facing different scenarios that stress on the “see and avoid” Requirements. In addition, most advanced developments are presented such as time to go estimation and clutter suppression by machine learning.

Citation Download Citation

Dominique Maltese and Julien Farjon "Detect and avoid function for UAVs: presentation of an EO/IR sensor solution", Proc. SPIE 11407, Infrared Technology and Applications XLVI, 1140713 (15 May 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2559461

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