Remote Aircraft Engine Inspection Device with Wireless Endoscope
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing aircraft engine defects during maintenance are hindered by the need for remote experts to physically visit the site, leading to inefficient communication, potential misunderstandings, and suboptimal image and measurement quality due to spatial constraints and communication disturbances, which delays decision-making and affects safety.
Innovation Solution
A portable device with wireless communication and a software module that enables real-time transmission of images and measurements from an endoscope to a remote terminal, allowing collaborative analysis, with features like automatic image enrichment and adaptive data rate adjustment for optimal image quality and latency, and a 3D virtual representation of the engine for anomaly detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If remote experts physically visit the site to inspect engine defects, then they can directly observe the engine state and provide technical opinions, but it leads to inefficient communication, potential misunderstandings, and delays in decision-making
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the engine inspection process by capturing images and measurements with an endoscope and transmitting them to a remote terminal. This allows remote experts to analyze the engine state without physically visiting the site, eliminating travel time while maintaining diagnostic accuracy through high-quality image transmission and collaborative analysis tools.
2Measurement precision
If operators use multiple tools connected by cables to inspect engine zones, then they can access different areas for measurement and imaging, but the cables hinder operator movement and make it difficult to access confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical cable-based tool connections with a wireless communication system. The endoscope and measurement devices communicate wirelessly with the portable housing, eliminating physical cables that restrict operator movement. This allows operators to freely access confined engine spaces while maintaining full measurement and imaging capabilities through wireless data transmission.
3Loss of information
If operators take many photos to ensure critical areas are captured, then they can provide comprehensive information for analysis, but it increases the time and effort required for inspection and data management
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements real-time feedback by transmitting images and measurements to remote experts during the inspection process. Experts can immediately review the captured data and provide guidance on whether additional photos are needed, eliminating the need to take excessive photos in advance. This feedback loop ensures information completeness while optimizing inspection efficiency by capturing only the necessary data.
4Reliability
If communication occurs through telephone discussions or emails with photos and videos, then remote experts can provide technical opinions, but the quality of images and measurements may not be sufficient for reliable diagnostic due to communication disturbances and lack of network coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a dedicated portable housing as an intermediary device that captures and transmits high-quality images and measurements directly from the endoscope to remote terminals. This intermediary ensures that diagnostic data is transmitted with sufficient quality and reliability, overcoming the limitations of standard communication channels like emails or telephone discussions that may suffer from disturbances or network issues.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an assistance device for remote diagnostics during verification of the state of an aircraft engine, carried out in situ by at least one operator with an endoscope used to capture images of the engine and to take measurements intended to be transmitted to at least one remote terminal used by at least one remote expert, with the aim of performing a collaborative analysis of the images and the measurements. The device according to the invention further comprises a portable housing controlled by the operator and equipped with a software module intended for generating an operational context as a function of location data provided by a GPS, weather data from the endoscopy location, and data on the communications network.