Sensor Fusion
Flight inspections
Flight inspection ensures the integrity of instrument approaches and airway procedures that constitute our National Airspace System infrastructure. This is accomplished through airborne inspection of all space and ground based instrument flight procedures and instrumentation. Up to today this is a tedious expensive and sometimes even very dangerous process.
AANA is part of the Sensor Fusion Team, a combined NASA/FAA effort to investigate how new procedures, techniques and displays can make flight inspections easier, safer and cheaper. Using the results of ACES' research and development efforts and X-38 experience, AANA:
- supported the design and implementation of the camera, computer and screen mounts
- defined the operational scenario's, briefings and evaluations
- implemented the HUD Displays and Augmented Terrain Models to support the flight inspection missions
Results
The first part of the project was very successful; tests were performed with the Challenger 604, an actual FAA Flight Inspection Airplane that was modified for these tests with additional cameras, computers and screens.