A system for detecting a foreign object on a runway and a method thereof

A method for detecting a foreign object on a runway, the method comprising

• capturing a plurality of thermal images of a first view of an area of interest on the runway from one side of the runway,
• capturing a plurality of visible light images of the first view of the area of interest on the runway from the one side of the runway,
• transforming at least one of the plurality of visible light images and the plurality of thermal images to a plurality of transformed visible light image and a plurality of transformed thermal images respectively, wherein the plurality of transformed visible light images and the plurality of transformed thermal images are of a second view of the area of interest,
• detecting a thermal object image in the thermal image,
• detecting a visible light object image in the visible light image, and
• determining that the foreign object is detected when the thermal object image and the visible light object image are detected in the thermal image and the visible light object image respectively.

A system for detecting a foreign object on a runway, the system comprising:

• a thermal camera comprising a first field of view and adapted to capture a thermal image of a first view of an area of interest on the runway from one side of the runway,
• a visible light camera comprising a second field of view and adapted to capture a visible light image of the first view of the area of interest on the runway from the one side of the runway, wherein the first field of view overlaps the second field of view,
• a processor in communication with the thermal camera and the visible light camera,
• a memory in communication with the processor for storing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to,
• transform at least one of the visible light image and the thermal image to a transformed visible light image and a transformed thermal image respectively, wherein the transformed visible light image and the transformed thermal image are of a second view of the area of interest,
• detect a thermal object image in the thermal image,
• detect a visible light object image in the visible light image, and
• determine that the foreign object is detected when the thermal object image and the visible light object image are detected in the thermal image and the visible light object image respectively.

A system for detecting a foreign object on a runway divided into a plurality of sectors, the system comprising,

• a plurality of sets of cameras spaced apart from each other, each of the plurality of sets of cameras comprises:
• a thermal camera comprising a first field of view and adapted to capture a thermal image of a first view of an area of interest on the runway from one side of the runway,
• a visible light camera comprising a second field of view and adapted to capture a visible light image of the first view of the area of interest on the runway from the one side of the runway, wherein the first field of view overlaps the second field of view,
• a processor in communication with the thermal camera and the visible light camera,
• a memory in communication with the processor for storing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to:
• transform at least one of the visible light image and the thermal image to a transformed visible light image and a transformed thermal image respectively, wherein the transformed visible light image and the transformed thermal image are of a second view of the area of interest,
• detect a thermal object image in the thermal image,
• detect a visible light object image in the visible light image, and
• determine that the foreign object is detected when the thermal object image and the visible light object image are detected in the thermal image and the visible light object image respectively,
• wherein each of the plurality of sets of cameras is configured to scan one of the plurality of sectors of the runway.