Before commercial aircraft are deemed safe to fly before each trip, a pre-flight inspection must be completed. The process can take up to four hours, and can involve workers climbing around the aircraft to check for any problems, sometimes resulting in safety incidents as well as misdiagnosis. may be
With funding from NASA and Boeing to bolster commercial readiness, Near Earth Autonomy, under its business unit Proxim, developed a drone-powered solution that can fly around commercial aircraft and 30 Can collect inspection data in less than minutes. The drone can autonomously fly around the aircraft to complete the inspection, following a computer-programmed task card based on the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules for commercial aircraft inspections. The card shows the flight path the drone’s software needs to take, enabling aircraft operators with a new tool to increase safety and efficiency.
“NASA has worked with Near Earth Autonomy on autonomous inspection challenges in multiple domains,” says Dennett Allen, NASA’s senior leader for autonomous systems.
“We are excited to see this technology expand throughout the industry to increase the efficiency, safety, and accuracy of the aircraft inspection process for the overall public benefit.”
Images collected from drones are shared and analyzed remotely, allowing experts in the airline maintenance field to support rapid repair decisions from anywhere. New photos can be compared to old photos to look for cracks, popped rivets, leaks and other common problems.
The user can ask the system to generate an alert if an area needs to be re-inspected or if an inspection fails. Near Earth Autonomy estimates that using drones for aircraft inspections could save the airline industry an average of $10,000 per hour in lost revenue during unplanned time on the ground.
Over the past six years, Near-Earth Autonomy has completed several rounds of test flights with its drone system on Boeing aircraft used by American Airlines and Emirates Airlines.
of NASA Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer The program, administered by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, aims to bolster American intelligence by supporting innovative ideas brought by small businesses to meet the needs of NASA and industry. These research needs are identified in annual SBIR applications and target technologies that have significant potential for successful commercialization.
Small business concerns with 500 or fewer employees, or small businesses partnering with a nonprofit research institution such as a university or research laboratory may apply to participate in the NASA SBIR/STTR program.