Most of us believe that today’s planes are quite capable of landing on their own, but that isnt fully true they actually need a lot of support and the systems to do so exist only on large planes and in major airports. These systems send out signals to tell planes exactly where the runway is, even in poor waether where visibility is minimal.
Even then planes are always landed with pilots at the helm ready to take over in an instant.
However, a team of researchers from Germany have now designed an automatic system that can be incorporated in small airplanes that lets them land automatically without the ground infractructure that has been needed in the past.
It works without relying on ground systems at all, and without the need for a pilot. So, how do it work if they don’t use GPS and radio signals to detect exactly where the runway and obstacles are?
Apparently, it finds the runway the same way that pilots do: by sight or to be more precise, by using visible-light and infrared cameras on the nose of the plane.
A TUM news release stated:
“The cameras already recognize the runway at a great distance from the airport. The system then guides the aircraft through the landing approach on a completely automatic basis and lands it precisely on the runway’s centerline.”
To watch the videos and find out exactly how it works click the link below.
