Lead and follower aircraft navigation system
A system may include a follower aircraft including a processor configured to: determine a follower aircraft location at a time t 0 ; receive a real-time kinematics (RTK) update from a lead aircraft, the RTK update including information associated with: a lead aircraft location at the time t 0 , the lead aircraft location at a time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 0 , and an object location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 ; perform RTK processing to determine the follower aircraft location at the time t 0 relative to the lead aircraft location at a time t 0 ; determine the follower aircraft location at a time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 0 by utilizing time relative navigation (TRN); and determine the object location at time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 2 .
1. A system, comprising:
a follower aircraft; and
a lead aircraft, comprising:
at least one sensor configured to sense a location of an object in an environment relative to a location of the lead aircraft and output sensor data associated with the sensed location of the object;
at least one lead aircraft processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the at least one lead aircraft processor configured to:
receive the sensor data;
determine a lead aircraft location at a time t 0 based at least on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements;
determine the lead aircraft location at a time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 0 by utilizing time relative navigation (TRN), wherein t 1 is after t 0 ;
determine an object location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 based at least on the sensor data;
output a real-time kinematics (RTK) update for transmission to the follower aircraft via a datalink, the RTK update including information associated with: the lead aircraft location at the time t 0 , the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 0 , and the object location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 ;
wherein the follower aircraft comprises:
at least one follower aircraft processor, the at least one follower aircraft processor configured to:
determine a follower aircraft location at the time t 0 based at least on GNSS measurements;
receive the RTK update from the lead aircraft via the datalink;
based at least on the RTK update, perform RTK processing to determine the follower aircraft location at the time t 0 relative to the lead aircraft location at a time t 0 ;
determine the follower aircraft location at a time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 0 by utilizing TRN, wherein t 2 is after t 1 ; and
determine the object location at time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 2 based at least on the follower aircraft location at the time t 0 relative to the lead aircraft location at a time t 0 , the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 0 , the object location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 , and the follower aircraft location at the time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 0 .
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lead aircraft is a lead helicopter and the follower aircraft is a follower helicopter.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of: at least one light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor and at least one radio detection and ranging (radar) sensor.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the RTK update further includes occupancy map data, global positioning system (GPS) pseudorange (PR) measurements, and GPS carrier phase (CP) measurements.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one lead aircraft processor is implemented in a GNSS/inertial navigation system (INS) computing device.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one follower aircraft processor is implemented in a GNSS/inertial navigation system (INS) computing device.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object is an obstacle.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object is a landing zone.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the follower aircraft is configured to avoid or proceed to the object based at least on the object location at time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 2 .
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lead aircraft and the follower aircraft further comprises at least one global positioning system (GPS) anti-jamming antenna system.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the follower aircraft further comprises a flight director configured to provide guidance cues to avoid or proceed to the object based at least on the object location at time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 2 .
12. A system, comprising:
a follower aircraft, comprising:
at least one follower aircraft processor, the at least one follower aircraft processor configured to:
determine a follower aircraft location at a time t 0 based at least on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements;
receive a real-time kinematics (RTK) update from a lead aircraft via a datalink, the RTK update including information associated with: a lead aircraft location at the time t 0 , the lead aircraft location at a time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 0 , and an object location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 , wherein t 1 is after t 0 ;
based at least on the RTK update, perform RTK processing to determine the follower aircraft location at the time t 0 relative to the lead aircraft location at a time t 0 ;
determine the follower aircraft location at a time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 0 by utilizing time relative navigation (TRN), wherein t 2 is after t 1 ; and
determine the object location at time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 2 based at least on the follower aircraft location at the time t 0 relative to the lead aircraft location at a time t 0 , the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 0 , the object location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 , and the follower aircraft location at the time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 0 .
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the follower aircraft is a follower helicopter.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the RTK update further includes occupancy map data, global positioning system (GPS) pseudorange (PR) measurements, and GPS carrier phase (CP) measurements.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein one or more of the at least one follower aircraft processor is implemented in a GNSS/inertial navigation system (INS) computing device.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the follower aircraft is configured to avoid or proceed to an object at the object location based at least on the object location at time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 2 .
17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the follower aircraft further comprises at least one global positioning system (GPS) anti-jamming antenna system.
18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the follower aircraft further comprises a flight director configured to provide guidance cues to avoid or proceed to an object at the object location based at least on the object location at time t 2 relative to the follower aircraft location at the time t 2 .
19. A system, comprising:
a follower aircraft; and
a lead aircraft, comprising:
at least one sensor configured to sense a location of an object in an environment relative to a location of the lead aircraft and output sensor data associated with the sensed location of the object;
at least one lead aircraft processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the at least one lead aircraft processor configured to:
receive the sensor data;
determine a lead aircraft location at a time t 0 based at least on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements;
determine the lead aircraft location at a time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 0 by utilizing time relative navigation (TRN), wherein t 1 is after t 0 ;
determine an object location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 based at least on the sensor data;
output a real-time kinematics (RTK) update for transmission to the follower aircraft via a datalink, the RTK update including information associated with: the lead aircraft location at the time t 0 , the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 0 , and the object location at the time t 1 relative to the lead aircraft location at the time t 1 .
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein one or more of the at least one lead aircraft processor is implemented in a GNSS/inertial navigation system (INS) computing device.