LoRAD = Low power RADAR sensor for use in collision detection on small Remotely Piloted Aircraft

LoRAD = 用于小型遥控飞机碰撞检测的低功率雷达传感器

• 批准号: 700355
• 金额: $ 3.06万
• 依托单位: BARNARD MICROSYSTEMS LIMITED
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: GRD Proof of Market
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2014 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=700355
• 关键词: LoRAD; Low; power; RADAR; sensor

We are developing Remotely Piloted Aircraft ("RPA") for use in scientific (ice thicknessmonitoring), commercial (oil and mineral exploration) and state (border patrol) applications.The greatest technical challenge to the use of RPA, operating Beyond Visual Line Of Sight("BVLOS"), is the deployment of an effective, all weather, collision detection system,combined with an airborne collision avoidance capability.This is a requirement that has been raised at many RPA conferences and is top of the list oftechnology challenges noted by the European Defence Agency . It has also been arequirement of our potential RPA customers, including companies engaged in oil and gasexploration and production activities.Development of a solution has been very slow due to shrinking R&D budgets. We havealready demonstrated in prototype form a collision detection system based on the use of twocameras in a stereo imaging configuration. However, this solution can only be used on a clearday under Visual Flight Rules.We plan to explore the market for, and commercial viability of, a novel approach in which weuse a small RADAR unit, based on an enhancement to a relatively inexpensive andlightweight maritime (yacht) scanning RADAR unit, to augment a stereo vision system, toenable the detection of airborne objects (a) at night, (b) in cloud and (c) approaching from thesun. Initially we thought the use of a yacht RADAR unit might not be permitted on anairborne platform. However, we have noticed that the US Federal Aviation Authority hasauthorised the use of this very type of RADAR as an "Avian RADAR" at US airports, todetect birds at up to 2 km.There is currently a rapidly growing interest in the use of RPA in civilian applicationsthroughout the world. Apart from their application in "dull, dirty and dangerous" operations, asocietal benefit will be environmental, since RPA use less fuel than their manned counterpartsper kilometre travelled.

我们正在开发远程驾驶飞机（“RPA”），用于科学研究（冰厚监测），商用（石油和矿产勘探）和国家使用RPA（在视线外（“BVLOS”）操作）的最大技术挑战是部署有效的全天候碰撞检测系统，这是在许多RPA会议上提出的要求，也是欧洲防务局指出的技术挑战之首。这也是我们潜在RPA客户的要求，包括从事石油和天然气勘探和生产活动的公司。由于研发预算缩减，解决方案的开发一直非常缓慢。我们已经展示了原型形式的碰撞检测系统的基础上使用twocameras在立体成像配置。然而，根据目视飞行规则，这种解决方案只能在晴朗的日子使用。我们计划探索一种新方法的市场和商业可行性，在这种方法中，我们使用一种小型雷达单元，基于对相对廉价和轻型海事（游艇）扫描雷达单元的增强，以增强立体视觉系统，从而能够检测空中物体（a）在夜间，（B）云中;（c）太阳附近。最初我们认为在空中平台上使用游艇雷达装置可能是不允许的。然而，我们注意到，美国联邦航空管理局已授权在美国机场使用这种雷达作为“鸟类雷达”，以探测高达2公里的鸟类。目前，在世界各地，对RPA在民用应用中的使用的兴趣正在迅速增长。除了在“枯燥、肮脏和危险”的作业中应用外，RPA的社会效益还将是环境效益，因为RPA比其载人同行行驶一公里所消耗的燃料更少。