Active landing marker

An active landing marker comprising:

• a housing:
• a cover panel coupled to the housing, the cover panel made of polarized translucent material;
• a marker panel positioned between the cover panel and a cavity of the housing, the marker panel including a plurality of selectively positioned energy absorbing sections and a plurality of energy transmission sections;
• and
• energy sources within the cavity of the housing positioned to direct energy to the marker panel, the energy sources including at least one of a near infrared (NIR) energy source and a far infrared (FIR) energy source, energy radiated from the at least one energy source being absorbed by the plurality of energy absorbing sections of the marker panel and directed out of the cover panel by the plurality of energy transmission sections to generate an active signal marker having a unique marker pattern configured to identify the active landing marker to a vehicle, the active signal marker aiding in the landing of the vehicle at a landing site;
• at least one sensor to sense environmental conditions;
• and
• a controller to selectively provide power to energy sources, the controller configured to switch between energy sources based on a current environment condition sensed by the at least one sensor.

A method of generating an active landing marker, the method comprising:

• forming a unique pattern in a marker panel with a plurality of energy absorbing sections and a plurality of energy transmission sections, the unique pattern configured to identify the marker panel to a vehicle, the marker panel received within a cavity of a housing;
• determining a current environmental condition with at least one sensor;
• generating energy that is absorbed by the energy absorbing sections and transmitted from the energy transmission sections of the marker panel with at least one of a plurality of energy sources that are located within the cavity of the housing, the plurality of energy sources including at least one of a near infrared (NIR) energy source and a far infrared (FIR) energy source;
• and
• switching between energy sources of the plurality of energy sources based on the determined current environmental condition so the vehicle can identify the marker panel in different environmental conditions to accomplish a landing at a landing site.