AEL Sistemas
Finding a better path through complexity.
AEL Sistemas / GRAPH OPTIMIZATIONA clearer path forward.SYSTEM STUDY / 04
A graph-based trajectory planning system designed to enhance AEL's existing Terrain Following technology by calculating optimal low-altitude flight paths. The application processes geospatial elevation data to find routes that minimize both ground collision risks (CFIT) and aircraft exposure to threats, while respecting constraints like exclusion zones, mandatory waypoints, and maximum turn angles. The project provides mission planners with safe, efficient routes that can be exported for use in avionics systems.
The intention
- Create measurable and objective trajectory planning process
- Calculate optimal routes balancing collision risk and exposure
- Process route calculations in under one minute for emergency planning
- Support exclusion zones and mandatory waypoints in route planning
- Generate outputs compatible with existing avionics systems
The complexity
- Processing large DTED2 geospatial datasets with limited memory
- Implementing efficient graph algorithms for complex terrain navigation
- Balancing multiple optimization criteria: altitude, visibility, and safety
- Ensuring aircraft turn angle constraints are physically realistic
- Designing intuitive human-computer interface for mission planning
What took shape
- Developed Java application with Neo4j graph database integration
- Implemented Dijkstra and Bellman-Ford pathfinding with custom constraints
- Created visual route representation with coordinate vector outputs
- Achieved sub-minute route calculation meeting performance requirements
- Built product ready for integration with AEL's existing systems
Tools & disciplines
- Java
- Neo4j
- GDAL
- Graph Theory
- Dijkstra Algorithm
- Geospatial Analysis