A radio frequency (RF) assembly that includes a microstrip to waveguide transition is described herein. In one example, the RF assembly can include a substrate, a microstrip, and a waveguide. The substrate can include an antenna that includes an antenna slot. A portion of the microstrip, such as an end of the microstrip, can be disposed within and/or underneath the antenna slot. The microstrip can be embedded within the substrate and can be electrically coupled to the antenna. At least a portion of the waveguide can be disposed over the antenna slot.

A vertical landing vehicle including an airframe forming a hull and having at least one wing coupled to the airframe, at least one proximity sensor coupled to the airframe, and a flight control system including a control processor and an operator interface, the at least one proximity sensor being coupled to the control processor, the control processor being configured to receive proximity signals from the at least one proximity sensor and present, through the operator interface and based on the proximity signals, situational awareness information of obstacles within a predetermined distance of the vertical landing vehicle relative to the hull and/or the at least one wing.

A precise positioning method provides a 3D position data in the absence of GPS by correcting the INS error, which generates a precise altitude data in the presence of GPS by integrating the outputs of all the sources providing altitude data and which generates a precise position data by using the INS/GPS integrated system position data. The method is performed by processing the data from relative sensors in the platforms comprising INS which generates the data necessary for terrain-aided navigation, radar altimeter and barometric altimeter sensors, and DTED which is a database comprising the elevation above sea level of the relevant terrain.

A weather radar system can be used as an airborne sensor for providing an image on an electronic display during low visibility offshore IFR operations (e.g. for a helicopter approach to an offshore platform, such as, a petroleum rig or other structure). The weather radar sensed image is representative of the external surroundings of the maritime environment associated with radar returns received by the weather radar system. Beam sharpening technology produces higher angular resolution of the sensed objects in the radar image which reduces the interpreted azimuth errors from the sensed radar image. Accordingly, beam sharpening technology advantageously allows object isolation of closely clustered offshore platforms and nearby objects. With operational credit provided to these capabilities, the minimal distance for obtaining visual reference with the target platform could be reduced, increasing the success rate of completing offshore operations in low visibility IFR conditions.

A navigation system suitable for use by an automated vehicle includes a first sensor, a second sensor, a digital-map, and a controller. The digital-map includes a first data-group of navigation-features preferentially detected by the first sensor-technology, and a second data-group of navigation-features preferentially detected by the second sensor-technology. The controller determines, on the digital-map, first and second locations of the host-vehicle using the first and second sensors, respectively. The controller selects one of the first and second locations to navigate the host-vehicle based on a comparison of the first data-density and the second data-density. Alternatively, the controller determines a first feature-density and a second feature-density of navigation-features detected by the first and second sensors respectively, and selects one of the first location and the second location to navigate the host-vehicle based on a comparison of the first feature-density and the second feature-density.

Disclosed is a light-weight radar system (LWRS) for sense and avoid applications in a vehicle. The LWRS includes a plurality of receivers, a plurality of transmitters, an obstacle database, and a processing device. The processing device is in signal communication with the plurality of receivers, plurality of transmitters, and the obstacle database. The processing device includes at least one processor and a computer computer-readable medium (CRM) having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions.

Examples disclosed herein relate to a sensor fusion system for use in an autonomous vehicle. The sensor fusion system has a radar detection unit with a metastructure antenna to direct a beamform in a field-of-view (FoV) of the vehicle, an analysis module to receive information about a detected object and determine control actions for the radar detection unit and the metastructure antenna based on the received information and on environmental information, and an autonomous control unit to control actions of the vehicle based on the received information and the environmental information.

A method for assessing a ground area for suitability as a landing zone or taxi area for aircraft is provided. Three-dimensional data for the ground area in a plurality of measurement cycles in a 3D sensor is produced. The measured-value density of the three-dimensional data and also of at least one further statistical property of the three-dimensional data is determined. A measure of the local roughness of the ground area is produced based on the measured-value density and the at least one further statistical property. The individual area elements of the ground area are classified on the basis of the roughness values produced according to the degree of suitability of said area elements as a landing area or taxi area.

A method of synthetic representation of elements of interest in a viewing system for aircraft, the viewing system comprises location sensors, a cartographic database and a database of elements of interest, an image sensor, a unit for processing images and a unit for generating three-dimensional digital images representative of the terrain overflown and a viewing device, wherein, when the terrain overflown comprises an element of interest, the method of synthetic representation comprises: a first step of searching for and detecting the element of interest in each image of a sequence of images, and; a second step of generating three-dimensional digital images representative of the terrain overflown, the element of interest represented according to a first representation if it has not been detected in any of the images of the sequence of images and according to a second representation if it is detected.

A system and method to separate close targets includes transmitting a pulse sequence and detecting a first target at a first target Doppler frequency based on processed received reflections resulting from the pulse sequence. A nulling pulse sequence designed to null the processed received reflections at the target Doppler frequency is transmitted.