Remote NDT Data Prioritization for Real-Time Expert Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the aerospace industry, there is a need for non-destructive testing techniques that allow remote monitoring of sub-surface structures of aircraft by experts who are not physically present, as damage beneath the surface can compromise the structural integrity of aircraft, and existing methods lack efficient real-time and detailed data transfer capabilities.
Innovation Solution
An inspection apparatus and method that divides inspection data into real-time and non-real-time components, allowing a remotely-located expert to monitor the inspection process in real-time with priority data transfer and facilitating detailed analysis with delayed, more processed data, using communication units and projection devices to visualize sub-surface structures and guide non-expert inspectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If inspection data is transferred in real-time for remote monitoring, then monitoring speed is improved, but data transfer completeness and detailed analysis capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments inspection data into two distinct categories: real-time data (first data) for immediate monitoring and comprehensive data (second data) for detailed analysis. The communication unit divides the inspection data stream, transmitting processed summaries at high speed while retaining and transferring complete raw data separately, thus resolving the contradiction between transfer speed and data completeness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing mechanism where the communication unit acts as a mediator between the inspection device and remote expert. It processes and prioritizes data before transmission, creating an intermediate layer that separates real-time monitoring requirements from comprehensive analysis needs, enabling both objectives to be achieved simultaneously
2Measurement precision
If all inspection data is transferred for detailed analysis, then analysis accuracy is improved, but transfer time and system efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data transfer into two phases: immediate transfer of critical real-time data for ongoing monitoring, and deferred transfer of comprehensive data for detailed analysis. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high analysis accuracy when needed while avoiding excessive transfer times during routine monitoring operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary processing of inspection data at the source, where the communication unit prepares and transmits essential real-time data before the expert needs it for monitoring decisions. This preliminary action ensures that time-critical information is available immediately, while comprehensive data can be analyzed in detail later without time pressure
3Ease of operation
If real-time monitoring is enabled for remote experts, then inspection control capability is improved, but communication bandwidth requirements deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential real-time components from the complete inspection data set for immediate transmission to remote experts. The communication unit identifies and separates critical monitoring data from the full data stream, transmitting only what is necessary for real-time control while leaving comprehensive data for later detailed analysis, thus reducing bandwidth requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of data transmission by processing and compressing real-time data before transmission. The communication unit transforms raw inspection data into condensed real-time representations suitable for remote monitoring, reducing the quantity of data transmitted while maintaining the essential information needed for effective remote control
Data Source
AI summary
An inspection apparatus for enabling a remotely-located expert to monitor an inspection by a non-expert, the apparatus comprising an inspection device capable of being operated by the non-expert, which is configured to generate inspection data indicative of a condition of a test object, and a communication unit configured to: divide the inspection data into first and second data; transfer the first data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a first time, to facilitate substantially real-time monitoring of the inspection by the expert; and transfer the second data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a second time, which is later than the first time, to facilitate non-real time monitoring of the inspection by the expert.