Using Image Processing and Pattern Recognition in Images from Head-Up Display

Abstract

Images frames have always been used as information source for the Flight Test Campaigns (FTC). During the flight tests, the images displayed on the Head-Up Display (HUD) could be stored for later analysis. HUD images presents aircraft data provided by its avionics system. For a simplified Flight Test Instrumentation (FTI), where data accuracy is not a big issue, HUD images could become the primary information source. However in this case data analysis is executed manually, frame by frame for information extraction (e.g. Aircraft position parameters: Latitude; Longitude and Altitude). In approximately one hour of flight test about 36,000 frames are generated using standard-definition television format, therefore data extraction becomes complex, time consuming and prone to failures. To improve efficiency and effectiveness for this FTC, the Instituto de Pesquisas e Ensaios em Voo (IPEV - Flight Test and Research Institute) with Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA - Aeronautical Technology Institute) developed an image processing application with pattern recognition using the correlation process to extract information from different positions on the images of the HUD. Preliminary test and evaluation carried out by 2012 using HUD images of the jet fighter EMBRAER A1. The test results demonstrate satisfactory performance for this tool.