Automated Aircraft Assembly Inspection via CAD Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manual inspection methods for aircraft structure assembly are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and unreliable due to the complexity and size of assemblies, often failing to provide infallible results in ensuring component accuracy and position.
Innovation Solution
An automated inspection system that uses a robot with a sensor array to acquire visual information and compare it with a CAD model, generating feedback on component deviations, including position, shape, and presence, without requiring human input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual inspection methods are used for aircraft structure assembly, then human operators can visually spot and record issues, but the inspection process becomes labor-intensive, time-consuming, and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection with an automated optical measurement system comprising sensors, cameras, and computer vision algorithms. The system automatically captures images of assembled components, processes them through image recognition algorithms, and compares results against design specifications, eliminating human operators from the inspection process while improving both reliability and efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies (images) of the physical aircraft structure components and performs inspection on these digital representations. The image processing system generates virtual models that can be analyzed without physically handling or manually examining the actual components, enabling automated defect detection and measurement
2Measurement precision
If visual inspection is performed on assemblies involving millions of components, then issues can be spotted by operators, but the complexity and size make infallible results impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system divides the complex aircraft assembly into smaller inspection units or regions of interest. The image processing algorithm segments the overall assembly image into individual component images, allowing systematic analysis of each component's position, orientation, and integrity against design specifications, making the inspection of large-scale assemblies manageable and precise
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces computer vision algorithms and image processing software as intermediaries between the physical components and the inspection results. These intermediary systems automatically identify components, measure their positions, detect defects, and generate inspection reports, bridging the gap between complex physical assemblies and precise measurement data without human intervention
3Reliability
If highly complex checking is performed on large assemblies, then component accuracy can be verified, but the operation becomes time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system performs continuous automated imaging and analysis of aircraft assembly components without interruption. Multiple sensors and cameras can simultaneously capture images of different regions, and the processing system continuously analyzes incoming image data, enabling rapid comprehensive inspection of entire assemblies in a single continuous operation rather than sequential manual checking
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary automated detection and classification of potential defects before detailed analysis. The image processing algorithm initially identifies all components and their gross positions, then focuses computational resources on areas with detected anomalies, and finally performs detailed measurement only on suspicious regions, significantly reducing overall inspection time while maintaining accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
A method for inspecting assembly of components in a structure includes acquiring a visual representation of at least a portion of the structure, and saving an electronic file of the visual representation on a computer readable medium. A three-dimensional design of the structure, which contains information on a proper position of the components within the structure, is accessed. The visual representation is compared with the three-dimensional design using a computer, and a feedback indicating a result of the comparison is generated.