Aircraft Panel Inspection via Translucent Virtual Overlay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft maintenance is inefficient due to the difficulty in accurately identifying the correct panel to open, leading to prolonged maintenance times as mechanics often mistake adjacent panels, despite existing systems lacking a solution to prevent wrong panels from being opened.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a computer, portable terminal, and 360-degree camera to generate and combine images of an aircraft fuselage with and without specific panels, creating a translucent representation of the interior components, allowing mechanics to accurately identify the correct panel using a displayed third image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mechanics open panels to inspect components, then they can access and maintain components, but they often open wrong panels leading to prolonged maintenance time
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the aircraft fuselage with translucent panels that display internal components. This virtual model allows mechanics to identify the correct panel location without physically opening panels, eliminating time loss from opening wrong panels while maintaining access to component information
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses visual differentiation through color coding and transparency variations to distinguish between different panel states (open/closed) and highlight components of interest. This visual feedback mechanism helps mechanics quickly identify the correct panel without confusion from similar-looking panels
2Area of stationary object
If many similar panels are used on aircraft fuselage, then structural coverage is achieved, but panel identification becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual representation of the entire fuselage with all panels, allowing mechanics to view the complete structure and identify the specific panel location through the transparent overlay that shows internal components, thus accurately identifying panels even when they appear similar externally
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a visual dimension by making panels translucent and displaying internal components within the panel boundary on the display device. This transforms the 2D panel identification problem into a 3D visual experience where the relationship between external panel position and internal component location becomes immediately apparent
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A system (100) and a method are provided that prevent a wrong panel of a structure such as an aircraft from being opened for inspection of an interior of the structure. A system (100) includes a computer (10), a portable terminal (20) and a camera (30) configured to capture an image of a structure with panels attached to generate a first image and capture another image of the structure with a predetermined panel among the panels removed to generate a second image and configured to send the first image and the second image to the computer (10). The computer (10) combines the first image and the second image to generate a third image and sends the third image to the portable terminal (20). The portable terminal (20) displays the third image. In the third image, the predetermined panel is translucently shown with at least one component at an interior of the predetermined panel being seen through.