An apparatus for alerting an operator to the presence of obstacles during the towing or push-back of an aircraft while it is on the ground, including: a self-propelled platform; at least one sensor attached to said platform, configured to sense potential obstacles; and a communication system attached to said platform for transmitting data relating to said sensed obstacles, the communication system being operable to communicate with at least one of: a same said apparatus; an operator control panel; a command centre; the aircraft being towed or pushed-back; and a vehicle towing or pushing-back the aircraft. An aircraft collision avoidance system is used during towing or push-back of an aircraft while it is on the ground, the system includes: at least one apparatus as described; and a carrier configured to carry the at least one apparatus.

Example implementations relate to systems and techniques for intuitive hot spot demarcation along ground surfaces in order to provide alerts that assist pilots avoid potential collisions. An aircraft computing system may receive map and hot spot data for a taxi route for the aircraft. Based on the map and hot spot data, the computing system may display a representation of the taxi route with a graphical overlay that conveys a position of each hot spot located along the taxi route. The computing system may monitor movement of traffic relative to the taxi route based on traffic data. When traffic is detected proximate a hot spot located along the taxi route, the computing system may provide an alert via the display interface. The alert can increase in intensity based on the location of the traffic relative to the hot spot.

An aircraft ground anti-collision system and method is disclosed including multiple sensors including an on-board sensor and an off-board sensor, and an obstacle detection processing unit, which is configured to: process data received from the multiple sensors to detect an object around the aircraft and/or a trailer for towing the aircraft, and fuse sensing ranges of the multiple sensors and unify information about the object detected by the multiple sensors in a same coordinate system, to generate a view-angle fused view indicating the detected object. Hence, vision blind areas of a pilot and a ground operator during ground movement of the aircraft can be advantageously eliminated, and the cooperation and scene awareness of the pilot and the ground operator can be improved, thereby reducing the accident rate and improving the safety of the ground movement.

The invention discloses a system and method of displaying UAS traffic in the cockpits of manned aircraft and also for use with other unmanned aircraft. The invention utilizes the FAA concept of remote identification for supplying the UAS data necessary to generate traffic reports. The invention discloses several different methods of communicating the UAS remote ID data to re-broadcast stations which would then re-broadcast the UAS traffic reports to receiving aircraft. The invention suggests leveraging the existing ASD-B and TIS-B FAA traffic reporting system to communicate the UAS traffic reports to the receiving aircraft.

A system for urban air mobility monitors flight separation for compliance with a safe separation distance. A reference formation airspace is established for a reference air taxi based on minimum longitudinal, lateral and vertical parameters. When penetration of the reference formation airspace is detected, a penetration airspace is established. A centroid of the penetration airspace is determined and a target separation to the centroid is supplied to the air taxi to reestablish safe separation. The extent of separation is also safely contained by the presence of virtual air taxis whose positions on the periphery of the penetrated airspace serve to limit potential penetration of surrounding air taxi air spaces.

The present disclosure provides a control system for controlling unmanned autonomous systems (UAS). The control system comprises of an application user system 102 to operate the UAS, an operating system 103, a virtual road system (VRS) 109 and a virtual packet 501. The virtual packet 501 created as a boundary around the UAS defined by application user system 102 or VRS 109. The operating system 103 includes a machine learning processing unit (MLPU) 104 configured for positioning the UAS, detecting collision within path of the virtual packet 901. The VRS 109 configured to generate a virtual roadway 902 using architecture for routing the UAS. The routing and controlling of UAS by the VRS 109 is based on request received from the MLPU 104, application zone packet parameters and actual position co-ordinates received from the MLPU 104.

A method includes converting audio to text, converting the text to a taxi path, and using a look-up table (LUT) to check for obstructions in the taxi path. The method includes issuing a warning if there are one or more obstructions in the taxi path based on the LUT or else refraining from issuing a warning if there are not one or more obstructions in the taxi path based on the LUT. Converting audio to text can include using a machine learning model. Before converting the audio to text, the method can include checking communications between a pilot and air traffic control (ATC) for keywords relevant to taxiing. Converting audio to text can be performed upon detecting the keywords in the audio. The audio can include words spoken by ATC to the pilot and/or words spoken by the pilot to ATC.

A method of detecting conflicts between aircraft passing through managed airspace, and resolving the detected conflicts strategically. The method may include obtaining intended trajectories of aircraft through the airspace, detecting conflicts in the intended trajectories, forming a set of the conflicted aircraft, calculating one or more revised trajectories for the conflicted aircraft such that the conflicts are resolved, and advising the conflicted aircraft subject to revised trajectories of the revised trajectories.

A wing protection system for increasing avoidance of grounded aircraft utilizes a plurality of wing clamps attached to an aircraft wing. A wing clamp from the plurality of wing clamps houses an electronics assembly; the electronics assembly including a plurality of sensors, a processor, a transceiver, and a peripheral alert system. The plurality of sensors detects objects approaching the grounded aircraft, while the peripheral alert system provides a visual and audible alert to the presence of the grounded aircraft; the processor receiving signals from the plurality of sensors and dictating appropriate action of the peripheral alert system. The transceiver allows data to be shared with a compatible user device, wherein a software application run on the compatible user device provides a digital representation of the plurality of wing clamps positioned about the aircraft.

A registration authority (RA) server registers unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their owners/operators (O/O). A UAV is maintained in a flight lock state until a flight plan request from the O/O is approved by the RA, which sends an key-signed approval to unlock the UAV's flight lock. The RA server evaluates a UAV's proposed flight plan based on the attributes of the O/O and UAV, the location and time of the requested flight plan, and a set of flight rules and exclusion zones that are developed in view of privacy assurance, security assurance, flight safety assurance, and ground safety assurance. The flight plan key-signed approval supplied to the UAV by the RA server specifies an inclusion zone that corresponds to a flight plan trajectory to be followed. Once in flight, the UAV maintains real-time knowledge of its position and time to ensure its flight remains within the approved inclusion zone.