Detection system and method for making contact between the tip of a flying boom and the mouth of a receptacle for aerial refuelling operations with a boom

摘要

System for detecting the tip of the pole of the flying boom of a tanker and of the mouth of the receptacle of the receiver for semi-automatic or automatic contact for in-flight refueling with a boom, which ensures to provide the control system of the tanker's boom with robust, reliable and simultaneous information in real time with regards to the end of its pole and of the mouth of the receiver's receptacle, at all times. To this end, the system comprises: 1) light emitters mounted on the tip of its pole, 2) light emitters mounted on the contour of the receptacle of the receiving aircraft, 3) a processing subsystem and 4) two 3D cameras, a TOF camera, synchronised with a light emitter and an additional camera together with a structured light emitter generated with a DOE-type lens.