Passion Project 3.1 - Design Brief & Definition Statement
I am need a system to mitigate or eliminate the effects of laser light strikes on aircraft. Laser light can cause temporary flash blindness in pilots and are the top complaint to the FAA. These strikes most often occur during the crucial times of landing and takeoff when the plane is low. The resulting temporary flash blindness may last from a few seconds to a few minutes depending on the amount of light that entered the eye. Below is an FAA simulation of a legal 5 mW laser pointer at 350 feet (110 m).
There has yet to be an accident directly attributed to laser light however there are also no preventative measures aside from penalties. In Canada, someone caught shining a laser at an aircraft faces up to $100,000 in fines, 5 years in prison, or both. Despite these penalties laser strikes continue to be on the rise with almost 600 incidents in Canada alone in 2015: that's more than 10 a week. Lasers used are for the most part perfectly legal and widely available; additionally, laser strikes can be caused by home laser light show devices.
To fully eliminate the effects of laser light would likely require a solid object to block incoming light. That however would also obstruct the view of the pilots. Therefore, the best solution likely lies in mitigation such as by absorbing some light or diffracting the beam. Possible solutions include a gas between panes of the cockpit glass that reacts to light or stimulation by a sensor for incoming laser light to darken the windshield. Another possible solution would be similar to the Boeing 787 electronically darkening passenger window shades.
Definition Statement: "I need a way to mitigate or eliminate the effects of laser strikes on aircraft without obstructing the normal operating performance or visibility of an aircraft."
There has yet to be an accident directly attributed to laser light however there are also no preventative measures aside from penalties. In Canada, someone caught shining a laser at an aircraft faces up to $100,000 in fines, 5 years in prison, or both. Despite these penalties laser strikes continue to be on the rise with almost 600 incidents in Canada alone in 2015: that's more than 10 a week. Lasers used are for the most part perfectly legal and widely available; additionally, laser strikes can be caused by home laser light show devices.
To fully eliminate the effects of laser light would likely require a solid object to block incoming light. That however would also obstruct the view of the pilots. Therefore, the best solution likely lies in mitigation such as by absorbing some light or diffracting the beam. Possible solutions include a gas between panes of the cockpit glass that reacts to light or stimulation by a sensor for incoming laser light to darken the windshield. Another possible solution would be similar to the Boeing 787 electronically darkening passenger window shades.
Definition Statement: "I need a way to mitigate or eliminate the effects of laser strikes on aircraft without obstructing the normal operating performance or visibility of an aircraft."
Excellent, Jason.
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