Tram system and methods for autonomous takeoff and landing of aircraft

A method comprising:

• assigning a sequence of aircraft waypoints along a landing approach path and along a runway at an airport to an aircraft;
• assigning a sequence of tram waypoints along the runway to a tram;
• prompting the tram to navigate to a first tram waypoint, in the sequence of tram waypoints, at a head of a runway in preparation for a landing routine;
• in response to the aircraft reaching a trigger waypoint, in the sequence of aircraft waypoints, preceding the runway, triggering the tram to accelerate to a landing speed of the aircraft;
• at the tram:
• adjusting output power of a drivetrain in the tram to sequentially arrive at each tram waypoint in the sequence of tram waypoints concurrent with arrival of the aircraft at corresponding aircraft waypoints in the sequence of aircraft waypoints;
• recording a sequence of optical images through an optical sensor arranged on the tram;
• detecting an optical fiducial arranged on the aircraft in the sequence of optical images;
• calculating offset distances from a latch on the tram to a latch receiver on the aircraft based on the optical fiducial detected in the sequence of optical images;
• in response to an offset distance from the latch to the latch receiver falling below a threshold distance, transitioning from adjusting power output of the drivetrain to sequentially arrive at tram waypoints in the predefined sequence of tram waypoints concurrent with arrival of the aircraft at corresponding aircraft waypoints in the predefined sequence of aircraft waypoints to adjusting output power of the drivetrain and adjusting a position of the latch on the tram based on positions of the optical fiducial detected in optical images recorded by the optical sensor;
• in response to contact between the latch and the latch receiver, triggering the latch to engage the latch receiver;
• and
• in response to the latch engaging the latch receiver, decelerating the aircraft.