JPWO2020109603A5

JPWO2020109603A5 -

Info

Publication number: JPWO2020109603A5
Application number: JP2021531367A
Authority: JP
Publication date: 2022-11-09

Claims

An airfield maintenance device for monitoring runway and taxiway conditions and remotely reporting said runway or taxiway conditions, comprising:
a drive unit operable to provide self-controlled rolling movement of said device over the surface of said airport runway or taxiway;
a detection unit comprising one or more sensors configured to detect one or more parameters of said surface;
a communication unit comprising a transceiver configured to transfer data derived from said detection unit from said device to a remote server;
The apparatus comprising
A device configured, in use, to move the surface and transfer data representing one or more parameters of the surface to the remote server.

said detection unit further comprising a terrain sensor operable to scan and detect terrain surrounding said device ;
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein said terrain sensor comprises a LIDAR module configured to scan and detect a perimeter of said device and output data representative of said perimeter of said device.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the drive unit is configured to travel on the surface and autonomously effect movement of the device using data derived from the terrain sensor.

The transceiver of the communication unit is operable to receive instructional information from a remote server and, in use, the communication unit to communicate the instructional information to one or more of the drive unit and the detection unit. 4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein is set.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more sensors of the detection unit comprise tribometers arranged to measure and output data representative of the level of friction of the surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the tribometer includes a friction measuring wheel set to be in contact with the surface in use.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein one or more of the drive wheels of the drive unit are used as friction measurement wheels of the detection unit.

8. A tribometer according to any one of claims 5 to 7 , wherein said tribometer includes an optical module configured to provide a measurement of said runway surface friction, preferably said optical module includes an infrared source. Apparatus as described.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more sensors of the detection unit comprise a FOD sensor configured in use to detect the presence of foreign debris FOD on the surface. .

said detection unit comprising a transmissometer operable to measure atmospheric attenuation of light and output data representative of runway visibility ;
The detection unit is
a transmittance meter operable to measure atmospheric attenuation of light and output data representative of runway visibility ;
a fire detector having an infrared sensor configured in use to monitor atmospheric heat radiation to detect fire;
a runway light detector configured to detect the presence of runway lights to verify proper functioning of lights on said runway; and
an infrared thermal sensor for detecting the surface temperature of said runway surface;
10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , comprising a measuring instrument, one or more of which is selected from the set of .

the apparatus further includes a servicing unit configured in use to perform servicing operations on the surface;
The servicing unit further includes a wildlife repellent configured in use to exterminate wildlife proximate to the surface, the deterrent comprising:
a laser source operable to emit laser light;
a speaker operable to emit high frequency sound;
a spray nozzle operable to output a spray of wildlife control chemicals;
11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , comprising one or more of:

12. The laser source of claim 11 , wherein the laser source of the maintenance unit is also operable as a transmissometer laser source operable to measure atmospheric attenuation of light and output data indicative of runway visibility. Device.

the apparatus further includes a servicing unit configured in use to perform servicing operations on the surface;
the servicing unit further comprising a fire extinguisher comprising a fire extinguishing agent tank and a fire extinguisher nozzle operable to controllably release extinguishing agent from the extinguishing agent tank;
13. Any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the fire extinguisher is arranged to trigger the release of the extinguishing agent from the extinguishing agent tank according to data derived from an infrared sensor of the detection unit. The apparatus described in .

a surface of the device comprising one or more interface parts for attaching components to the device ;
At least part of the detection unit is detachably attached to the device via the one or more interface components,
14. A device according to any one of the preceding claims , wherein preferably said interface part comprises one or more rails allowing components to be attached to said device by a sliding action .

the detection unit is configured to record location data each time a measurement is taken by the sensor and to associate each measurement with a location of the device ;
15. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims , wherein an onboard processor is configured to receive data from the detection unit and map the respective measurements to a map of the runway .

A system for monitoring and maintaining runway and taxiway conditions, comprising:
A device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 ;
a remote server configured to transfer data to or from the communication module of the device via a wired or wireless connection when in use;
system that encompasses

further comprising a docking station, said docking station configured to receive said device within a housing when in use ;
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the docking station is operable to provide power to the device .

A method of monitoring airfield runway and taxiway conditions, comprising:
Deploying a device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 on a runway or taxiway;
collecting runway condition data through the detection unit of the device ;
forwarding data derived from the detection unit to a remote server where the data can be processed and displayed;
A method that encompasses