System and Method for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-Based Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Detection

A computer-based system and method allows a user to automatically aerially inspect a selected runway/taxiway tarmac surface for foreign object debris (FOD) using a plurality of UAVs equipped with electro - optical (EO) sensors. Live images of the runway surface captured by the EO sensors are transmitted from the UAVs during an inspection sweep of the runway surface and are compared with FOD free reference images of the runway surface to determine whether candidate FOD are detected on the runway surface. Information about and images of candidate FOD are displayed to the user allowing the user to determine whether to send a team to remove the FOD from the runway.US 11,281,905 B