VR System for Aircraft Component Installation
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for installing components in aircraft with difficult access require larger holes for direct sight, leading to increased structural weight and potential operator injuries due to poor posture.
Innovation Solution
A real-time virtual reality system that uses reference targets and sensing elements on hand gloves and tools to provide a VR visualization of the installation area, eliminating the need for direct sight and additional holes in the aircraft structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If larger holes are made for direct sight, then the operator can properly locate and install the component, but the weight of the structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses augmented reality technology to create a virtual copy of the component and its installation path overlaid on the real-world view through AR glasses. This virtual representation provides the operator with visual guidance without requiring physical holes for direct sight, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and structural weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The AR glasses act as an intermediary device between the operator and the target area. Instead of modifying the structure to provide direct sight, the AR glasses mediate the visual information by projecting virtual images that guide the operator through the installation process while maintaining the integrity and weight of the original structure.
2Ease of operation
If holes are made for direct sight, then the operator can see the area of installation, but the operator may suffer from poor posture and injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The AR system creates a virtual copy of the installation area and component geometry, projecting this information directly into the operator's field of view through AR glasses. This eliminates the need for the operator to adopt awkward postures to see through holes, as all visual information is presented through the augmented reality display, thereby preventing injuries while maintaining ease of operation.
3Loss of information
If additional holes are made for direct sight, then the operator can visualize the target area, but the structural integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs augmented reality to create a virtual representation of the target area and component geometry, which is overlaid on the operator's real-world view through AR glasses. This virtual copying provides complete visualization information without requiring any physical holes in the structure, thus preserving structural integrity while eliminating information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The AR glasses serve as an intermediary that delivers visual information about the target area to the operator without requiring physical modifications to the structure. This mediator provides the necessary visualization while maintaining the structural integrity of the aircraft by eliminating the need for additional holes.
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual reality (VR) system for providing a real time VR visualization of a target area of an aircraft that comprises one or more reference targets established in known locations in the target area of an aircraft, hand gloves, a plurality of sensing elements established on at least the operator's hand gloves, a reception device that receives the information provided by the sensing elements to provide relative locations of the sensing elements against the one or more reference targets. The reception device comprises processing means to build the real time VR visualization that represents at least the operator's hands against the target area of the aircraft based on the sensing elements. The VR system also comprises display means that display the real time VR visualization to the operator.