Aircraft And Spacecraft Surface Inspection With Proximity Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for inspecting the surface quality of aircraft or spacecraft fuselage structures, particularly riveted joints and other anomalies, are time-consuming and risk damaging the surface or surrounding environment during manual or handheld inspections.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a ground vehicle with a manipulator, proximity sensors, and a control unit that enables automated, intelligent motion control to inspect surfaces by maintaining safe distances from obstacles, using machine learning to optimize movement paths and prevent collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual or handheld inspection methods are used, then inspection flexibility is maintained, but inspection time increases and surface damage risk occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual handheld inspection with an automated robotic system equipped with optical sensors. The robot uses camera-based inspection devices to detect surface anomalies, eliminating the need for manual tactile inspection and significantly reducing inspection time while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection system is designed to autonomously navigate and inspect surfaces without human intervention. The robotic system independently positions itself, captures images, and processes data to identify defects, enabling continuous inspection operations that do not depend on manual labor availability.
2Measurement precision
If inspection device moves close to surface, then detection precision improves, but risk of collision with obstacles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system using proximity sensors that continuously monitor the robot's distance to obstacles and the surface. Based on this feedback, the control unit dynamically adjusts the robot's position to maintain the optimal inspection distance, ensuring both precise detection and safe operation away from collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the inspection device's position relative to the surface based on real-time sensor data. The robot can modify its operating parameters and distance in response to changing conditions, allowing it to maintain optimal detection precision while adapting to avoid obstacles and prevent collisions.
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
Facilitates rapid, reliable, and damage-free inspection of large surface areas by ensuring the inspection device maintains safe distances from objects, allowing for efficient and precise detection of shape deviations and anomalies.
Implementation Method 1
proximity sensors (30) distributed at least on the manipulator (16) and divided therein into a plurality of zones (32a, 32b, 32c, 32d) and designed to detect a distance of the proximity sensor (30) to an object in a respective detection area (48)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A system for inspecting the surface structure of an aircraft or spacecraft comprises a ground vehicle with a drive unit, a manipulator mounted on the ground vehicle with several articulated moving parts, an inspection device mounted on the manipulator, several proximity sensors, and a control unit. The proximity sensors are distributed at least on the manipulator, divided into several zones, and configured to detect the distance to an object. The system is configured to inspect the surface structure of the aircraft or spacecraft by successively moving the inspection device along the surface structure.The control unit is designed to record distances detected by the proximity sensors and to control the drive and the manipulator, taking these distances into account, in such a way that the inspection device is successively placed at inspection positions at a predetermined distance from the surface structure, while simultaneously maintaining a sufficient distance between the ground vehicle and the manipulator from the surface structure and any objects surrounding the surface structure.