Foreign object debris surveillance network for runway security

Abstract

Purpose

Foreign object debris (FOD) poses a significant hazard to aviation safety and brings huge economic losses to the aerospace industry due to aircraft damage and out‐of‐service delays. Different schemes and sensors have been utilized for FOD detection. This paper aims to look into a video‐based FOD detection system for airport runway security and propose a scheme for FOD surveillance network establishment.

Design/methodology/approach

The FOD detection algorithm for the system is analyzed in detail, including four steps of pre‐processing, background subtraction, post‐processing and FOD location.

Findings

The overall algorithm is applied to two sets of live video images. The results show that the algorithm is effective for FOD targets of different shades under different lighting conditions. The proposed system is also evaluated by the ground‐truth data collected at Nanyang Airport.

Practical implications

The runway security can be greatly increased by designing an affordable video‐based FOD detection system.

Originality/value

The paper presents critical techniques of video‐based FOD detection system. The scheme for FOD surveillance network, as a significant part of aviation risk management at airports, is applicable and extensible.

Citation

Chen, W., Xu, Q., Ning, H., Wang, T. and Li, J. (2011), "Foreign object debris surveillance network for runway security", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 83 No. 4, pp. 229-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/00022661111138648