Small and Lightweight Innovative Obstacle Detection Radar System for the General Aviation: Performances and Integration Aspects

摘要

Since 2011, ROD Ltd. and Boggi srl have started to cooperate in the field of airborne platform safety through the development and the integration of an innovative radar system, based on the radar system patented by in 2009 [1]. ROD Ltd. is a startup company, created in 2011, in order to commercialize an innovative Obstacle and Terrain Avoidance Sensor concept (OTAS). Boggi srl is an EASA DOA (21.J.453) [2] that has developed the capability of designing and certifying aerospace components from small changes to complex systems such as Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) or mission avionic. The direct experience of the operators in general aviation has shown that a number of accidents occur because of collisions with obstacles and, especially, but not only, with cables. During the years of 1997-2009, a total of 996 reported aviation accidents/collisions involving wires/power lines occurred in the United States. Of the 996 accidents, 301 involved at least one fatality [3]. This paper describes the OTAS, a light-weight (<3 Kg) and low-power radar for terrain and obstacle detection for aircraft. It also describes the system and airworthiness aspects that have to be taken into consideration for the integration of this type of system on platforms. The OTAS solution is achieved by innovatively integrating proven technologies and purpose-built signal and data processing algorithms. One major innovation is to employ relatively low (L-band) radio frequency, which enables polarization sensitivity.