Ubiquitous Natural User System for Aircraft Maintenance Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex systems, such as aircraft, require precise work environments that often result in cluttered spaces with expensive and specialized tools, leading to reduced throughput and inefficiency in tasks like maintenance and production.
Innovation Solution
A ubiquitous natural user system (UNU) that integrates sensor systems, mobile computing, and networked systems to track workers and their environment, enabling the use of less-expensive tools by providing intuitive and natural interaction models through augmented reality, such as AR glasses, for hands-free interaction and collaborative information sharing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If workers use a full complement of expensive, specialized tools to satisfy precision requirements, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical measurement and verification tools with an optical/electronic system consisting of cameras, sensors, and computational processing. The system captures images, detects features, and verifies task completion through software algorithms rather than mechanical measurement instruments, thereby reducing the need for expensive specialized physical tools while maintaining precision requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies and representations of the physical workspace through camera imaging and feature detection. By working with digital images and extracted features rather than direct physical measurement, the system eliminates the need for multiple physical verification tools and calibration equipment, reducing device complexity while preserving manufacturing precision
2Manufacturing precision
If specialized calibration equipment is used to maintain precision, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to recurring calibration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-calibration and self-verification through automated feature detection and image processing. The computational system automatically adjusts and verifies measurements through software algorithms without requiring external calibration equipment or personnel intervention, eliminating recurring calibration time losses while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical calibration equipment with computational processing that can be rapidly updated and adjusted through software. This substitution eliminates the time-consuming physical calibration process while maintaining measurement precision through digital image processing and feature extraction algorithms
3Manufacturing precision
If expensive, specialized tools are deployed to meet precision requirements, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to tool queue migration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical specialized tools with a digital imaging and computational verification system. This substitution eliminates the need for tools to physically migrate between workstations and eliminates queue-based scheduling, allowing parallel processing of multiple tasks simultaneously, thereby increasing throughput while maintaining precision requirements through automated image-based verification
Data Source
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AI summary
A system is provided that includes sensors(s) (106) configured to provide sensed input including measurements of motion and/or orientation of a user during performance of a task to work a complex-system component. The system includes a front-end system (102) configured to process the sensed input including the measurements to identify a known pattern that indicates a significance of the sensed input from which to identify operations (602) of an electronic resource. The front-end system (102) is configured to form and communicate an input to cause the electronic resource to perform the operations (602) and produce an output. The operations (602) include determination of an action of the user during performance of the task, or calculation of a process variable related to performance of the task, from the measurements. And the front-end system (102) is configured to receive the output from the electronic resource, and communicate the output to a display device (110), audio output device or haptic sensor.