Aircraft Inspection Imagery Collected by UAV for Analysis and Comparison

飞机检查对飞行的可靠性能至关重要。一组经验丰富的技术人员进行检查。为了观察飞机外部的上部，技术人员必须使用一系列的安全带、梯子、升降机和配套的安全设备，这是一个耗时的过程。有机会捕获高度详细的飞机结构数据，同时减少使用配备摄像头的无人驾驶飞行器（UAV）检查飞机外部上部所需的时间。莫霍克学院和KF航空航天公司将合作开发、试验和制作这一过程的原型，以产生用于检查的3D图像。无人机飞行将需要一种有纪律的研究方法来解决在飞机机库中飞行无人机的挑战。在莫霍克团队确保无人机在机库飞行有可靠的GPS信号后，莫霍克团队将驾驶无人机收集飞机的图像。有了这些数据，莫霍克将创建飞机上部的3D图像。KF航空航天公司和莫霍克公司将审查图像的质量，并与常规检查相比较，同时进行技术观察，以验证和调整过程。该项目的成果将节省时间，提高技术人员的安全性，同时为未来的合作提供机会，以收集有关下一步维修和维护需求的额外信息。这些图像还将创建优秀的飞机维护文件，用于记录保存、保险和监管链。该项目将为KF航空航天公司提供创新的解决方案，并提高加拿大飞机维修技术人员的整体安全性和检查结果。2017年，加拿大航空航天工业维护、维修和大修（MRO）行业占国内生产总值（GDP）约80亿美元，从2012年到2017年，MRO增长超过25% （ISEDC, 2018）。该项目的成果将通过提供更安全的检查过程和更安全的飞机检查和维护使加拿大受益。

Aircraft inspections are essential to the reliable performance of flights. A team of experienced technicians performs inspections. To observe the upper portions of the exterior of an aircraft, technicians must use a series of harnesses, ladders, lifts, and supporting safety equipment in a time consuming process. There is an opportunity to capture highly detailed aircraft structural data while reducing the amount of time required to inspect the upper portions of the exterior of an aircraft with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as a drone, equipped with a camera. Mohawk College and KF Aerospace will collaborate to develop, pilot, and prototype this process to produce 3D imagery for inspection. The UAV flights will require a disciplined research approach to address the challenge of flying a UAV in an aircraft hangar. After the Mohawk team ensures a reliable GPS signal for UAV flight in the hangar, the Mohawk team will fly the UAV to collect imagery of the aircraft. With that data, Mohawk will create a 3D image of the upper portion of the aircraft. KF Aerospace and Mohawk will review the images for quality compared to a conventional inspection, and in parallel with technician observations for validation and adjustments of the process. The project's results will save time, and improve technician safety, while providing an opportunity for future collaborations to gather additional information regarding next steps for repair and maintenance needs. The imagery will also create excellent aircraft maintenance files for record keeping, insurance, and chain of custody uses. This project will provide an innovative solution for KF Aerospace and improve overall safety of Canadian aircraft maintenance technicians and the inspection outcomes. The Canadian Aerospace Industry Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industry represented approximately $8 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017, and from 2012-2017 MRO increase by more than 25% (ISEDC, 2018). The project results will benefit Canada by providing a safer inspection process and more secure planes following inspections and maintenance.