Aircraft Inspection Data Validation for UAV Flight Path Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft inspection methods using unmanned aircraft systems lack data validation processes, leading to inconsistent quality, increased time and cost, and uncertainty about meeting regulatory requirements, necessitating intensive human analysis.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that validates captured data from unmanned aircraft systems by comparing it with reference data to ensure it meets predefined tolerances, performing corrective actions if necessary, before detecting anomalies, thereby ensuring data quality and compliance with regulatory standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data validation processes are implemented in automated aircraft inspection systems, then data quality and reliability are improved, but system complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements data validation processes that occur in real-time during the inspection flight, before the inspection is completed. The system validates flight path adherence, image capture quality, and sensor data integrity as data is being collected, preventing invalid data from entering the analysis pipeline and reducing post-processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates continuous feedback loops where captured data is immediately validated against predefined criteria. When validation failures are detected (such as flight path deviations or poor image quality), the system provides feedback to automatically trigger corrective actions like re-capturing images or adjusting flight parameters, ensuring data quality without requiring complex post-inspection analysis.
2Measurement precision
If manual evaluation of captured images is performed to ensure quality, then inspection accuracy is improved, but inspection time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service validation where the automated inspection system validates its own captured data in real-time using predefined quality criteria. The system automatically assesses image quality metrics, flight path adherence, and sensor functionality without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining high inspection accuracy while eliminating the time and cost associated with manual evaluation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical evaluation processes with automated electronic validation systems. Computer algorithms automatically assess image quality, validate flight path compliance, and verify data integrity, substituting human inspectors with computational processes that achieve comparable or superior accuracy while significantly reducing inspection time and cost.
3Productivity
If automated inspection systems are used without data validation, then productivity is improved, but data reliability and regulatory compliance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs validation checks in real-time during the inspection flight, before the inspection is completed. By validating data quality criteria, flight path adherence, and sensor functionality as data is being collected, the system ensures data reliability is established beforehand, allowing automated processing to maintain high productivity without compromising validity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates continuous feedback loops where captured data is immediately validated against predefined quality criteria and regulatory requirements. When validation failures are detected, the system automatically triggers corrective actions such as re-capturing images or adjusting flight parameters, ensuring data reliability is maintained throughout the inspection process while preserving automated efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product (1822) for inspecting an aircraft (204, 2000). A computer system (206) receives captured data (224) for a flight path (220) flown by an unmanned aircraft system (216) to acquire the captured data (224) for the aircraft (204, 2000). The computer system (206) compares the captured data (224) with reference data (226) for the aircraft (204, 2000) to form a comparison (232). The computer system (206) determines whether the captured data (224) is within a set of tolerances (234) for valid captured data (138, 236) using the comparison (232). Prior to detecting anomalies (258) for the aircraft (204, 2000) using the captured data (224), the computer system (206) determines a set of corrective actions (238) in response to the captured data (224) being outside of the set of tolerances (234) for the valid captured data (138, 236) in which the set of corrective actions (238) is performed.