AIRCRAFT IMAGING SYSTEM USING PROJECTED PATTERNS ON FEATURELESS SURFACES

A method, apparatus, and system for processing images (214). A featureless surface (220) is detected during at least a portion of a flight (216) of an aircraft (212). A pattern (244) is displayed in a fixed location (250) on the featureless surface (220) while the featureless surface (220) is in a field of view (234) of a camera system (222) carried by the aircraft (212) during at least the portion of the flight (216) of the aircraft (212). Images (214) of the featureless surface (220) with the pattern (244) in the fixed location (250) using the camera system (222) are generated during at least the portion of the flight (216) of the aircraft (212).