Aircraft Surface Damage Mapping With Grid-Referenced Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for mapping damaged areas on aircraft surfaces are time-consuming and imprecise, particularly in correlating surface structures with material thickness measurements, and often fail to track damage throughout the aircraft's life.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using a marking element with grid markings to define a local coordinate system, combined with an optical detection device and a hand-guided sensing device to align laser lines with the markings, enabling precise correlation of surface structures and material characteristics for automated damage mapping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual measurement methods are used to map damaged areas, then the process can be performed with simple equipment, but the measurement precision and correlation accuracy between surface structures and material thickness are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement process is divided into two independent stages: first, optical detection of surface structures using a marking element with grid markings; second, manual measurement of material thickness at specific positions. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, achieving high correlation accuracy without requiring a complex integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The marking element with grid markings serves as an intermediary that bridges the optical detection system and the manual measurement process. It provides a common reference coordinate system that enables precise correlation between optically detected surface structures and manually measured material thickness values.
2Reliability
If manual measurements are taken at multiple positions to map damaged areas, then comprehensive damage information can be obtained, but the process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The marking element with grid markings is applied to the surface before any measurements are taken. This preliminary action establishes a predetermined coordinate system that guides the measurement process, allowing for systematic and efficient data collection at multiple positions without time-consuming setup for each measurement point.
Solution Approach 2:
The grid markings provide visual feedback that guides the measurement process. By referencing the predetermined positions marked on the surface, the measurement process becomes more efficient and systematic, reducing the time required to ensure comprehensive damage mapping without compromising reliability.
3Ease of operation
If hand-guided sensing devices are used to measure material thickness, then flexibility in measurement positioning is achieved, but the correlation between measurements and surface structures becomes imprecise
Solution Approach 1:
The marking element provides locally differentiated reference information through its grid markings. Each position on the surface has a unique location within the coordinate system defined by the grid, allowing hand-guided sensing devices to maintain flexibility while achieving precise correlation through the localized reference framework.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and precise correlation of surface structures and material characteristics, allowing for automated and accurate damage mapping on aircraft surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
simultaneously optically detecting at least one region of the marking element and at least one region of the surface portion by means of an optical detection device
Implementation Method 2
guiding a hand-guided sensing device one or more times to a predetermined position relative to the marking element within the surface portion and detecting a material characteristic there, wherein guiding the sensing device comprises projecting at least one laser line outwardly from the sensing device
Data Source
AI summary
A method for detecting aircraft surface portion characteristics including applying a marking sticker with grid markings adjacent to the aircraft surface portion, simultaneously optically detecting one region of the marking sticker and one region of the surface portion via an optical detection device, removing the optical detection device, hand guiding a sensing device to a predetermined position relative to the marking sticker within the surface portion and detecting a material characteristic there, correlating the detected material characteristic with the respective position in a data set, and generating and storing a damage map in which an optically detected structure of the surface portion is combined with the additional material characteristic at the one position, wherein guiding the sensing device includes projecting a laser line outwardly from the sensing device and moving the sensing device to align the laser line with at the grid marking.