Auxiliary alignment technology for aerial refueling based on real-time image processing

Aiming at the difficult problem of refueling docking in aerial refueling flight test, an auxiliary alignment system for refueling docking section based on real-time image processing was designed. The accurate relative position between the fuel receiving head and the center of the refueling cone sleeve was calculated through image measurement technology, so as to realize the real-time synchronous display of position parameters and video images, which was used for the auxiliary alignment of air refueling docking. The key technologies involved in the system, such as cone tracking technology under complex optical conditions, camera calibration technology based on constraints and real-time measurement technology of relative position of oil feeding and receiving components were studied. The experimental results show that the algorithm can realize fast and stable recognition and tracking of cone images in complex air environment. Binocular vision forward intersection measurement was used to calculate the relative position between the refueling cone sleeve and the fuel receiving head in real time. Compared with the post-processing results, the accuracy is better than 0.1 m, which can assist the pilot in air refueling docking operation and improve the success rate of refueling and receiving docking.