Shock Tube for Testing Conventional Building Components

Not Available This Small Business Innovative Research Phase I project will develop a system that provides a positive indication to the catapult officer when an aircraft launch bar is properly seated in the catapult shuttle of an aircraft carrier. Improper launch bar seating has resulted in the loss of numerous aircraft. The proposed system will employ a two dimensional machine vision system based on charged coupled device (CCD) camera technology and pattern recognition software. The machine vision system will provide highly reliable indication of launchbar seating during day and night operations, in all weather conditions. The proposed system will require no alteration to the aircraft, and requires no attachment of any components to moving parts of the catapult. The machine vision system will not protrude above deck, will provide its own source of collimated red light for illumination of the target, and will compensate for variations in shuttle position after tensioning. The machine vision system proposed will work with any present or future aircraft, as the system can easily learn the correct seating configuration of any aircraft launchbar.