Advanced diagnostics of aircraft structures using automated non-invasive imaging techniques

对更有效、更可靠的损坏检查有着创新的需求，在不影响乘客和货物运输安全的情况下减少维护时间和成本。研究的最终目标是提供一种自动化的创新损伤评估工具，能够检测和表征金属或复合材料结构上的损伤，通过各种先进的成像技术，如超声，红外，视觉等的新的优化融合。为评估运输部门使用的材料中的损坏提供新的方法，并识别尺寸与深度比小于1.5的表面和内部不连续性，并检测缺陷的尺寸，类型和深度。开发创新的图像识别方法，能够融合各种成像工具，并提供金属和复合材料中不同类型缺陷的可靠和自动检测。发展新的图像融合技术，实现多种成像技术的优化组合.高级成像数据选择和处理软件的开发.开发高精度空间定位系统，能够跟踪非侵入式成像传感器相对于受检部件的位置。

There is an innovative need for more efficient and reliable damage inspection, reducing time and cost of maintenance without compromising the safety of passengers and goods transported. The ultimate objective of the research is to deliver an automated innovative damage evaluation tool capable to detect and characterize damage on either metallic or composite structures by novel optimised fusion of various advanced imaging technologies such as ultrasound, infrared, visual, etc. The respective scientific results of the research are:1. To provide novel approaches for assessing damage in materials used in the transport sector and identify surface and internal discontinuities with size to depth ratio less than 1.5 and detect the size, type and depth of the defect.2. To develop innovative image recognition methodology capable of fusing the various imaging tools and providing a reliable and automatic detection of different types of defects in metal and composites.3. To develop novel image fusion technology for optimal combination of the developed imaging techniques.4. Software development for the advanced imaging data selection and processing.5. Development of a high precision spatial positioning system, capable of tracking the position of the non-invasive imaging sensors relative to the component under inspection.