Miniature Optical Guidance & Navigation

Piasecki Aircraft Corp (PiAC) and teammate SkEyes propose to develop the KlearPath-Mini, an Optical Guidance System incorporating a novel, miniature LADAR and EO imaging suite in a package suitable for small UAS (SUAS). The KlearPath-Mini will provide robust navigation and obstacle avoidance to a SUAS, allowing safe flight from launch to recovery without outside intervention. The system uses an open architecture modeled as APPs for processing sensor data, determining a clear flight path and suitable landing zone. This open platform allows for insertion of higher performing or mission specific sensors as they become available. The abstracted architecture is designed to allow the KlearPath-Mini to work with a broad range of SUAS autopilots, both military and civil. The KlearPath-Mini will be designed within the reduced SWaP-C constraints of UAS less than 55 pounds. Phase I will focus on design and establishing technical feasibility of the KlearPath-Mini system.