Mixed Reality Platform for Aircraft Maintenance (MRMX)

U.S. Air Force maintainers and technicians face challenges due to the lack of an interactive, easy-to-use visual system that overlays digital information—including technical manuals—onto real aircraft parts using augmented reality (AR). Such a system is essential to assist technicians in Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) procedures. Currently, aircraft maintenance crews rely on physical or tablet-driven digital manuals, often outdated or disconnected from the aircraft’s maintenance history. There is a critical need for a hands-free tool that provides updated technical manuals and diagrams compliant with S1000D standards. A “call-an-expert” mode is also needed, enabling maintainers to receive step-by-step guidance from subject matter experts (SMEs). This feature and digital annotation capabilities would allow experts to overlay augmented instructions holographically onto real or virtual 3D aircraft components. The mixed reality (MR) headset should integrate with existing operations and maintainers’ PPE equipment, even in demanding environments such as aircraft hangars or confined spaces. The solution must also be independent of current USAF-mandated maintenance and repair equipment. The proposed solution is a software platform that enables “Digital Thread” capabilities while displaying aircraft maintenance instructions. This tool will leverage machine learning (ML) models to analyze maintenance data, predict failures, and optimize repair schedules, thereby reducing downtime and operational costs. AI-driven analytics will enhance the precision and efficiency of maintenance procedures by delivering real-time recommendations. The Phase II SBIR objective is to continue Inhance’s Phase I work and build a new Mixed Reality Platform for Aircraft Maintenance (MRMX) that addresses current and future USAF needs for digital maintenance tools. We will achieve this by focusing on these objectives:MR HMD Evaluation and Selection: Researching commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) HMDs, prioritizing ruggedization (MIL standard), design, and unobtrusive features that maintain natural sightlines.Back-End Development and Deployment: Developing a Parser Tool to convert aircraft manuals into the standardized S1000D format and host them on a content management system (CMS). Inhance will also create a User-Generated Content (UGC) tool for USAF crews to develop modules specific to individual repairs.MRO Mode Development and Deployment: Using advanced AR APIs and image generation technologies to create unobtrusive S1000D-compliant overlays for MRO tasks.Training Mode Development and Deployment: Designing immersive training utilizing MR APIs and 3D image generators for 3D digital twins of aircraft components, capable of reading modules from the CMS.System Integration, Analysis, and Final Report: Integrating all components into a cohesive MRMX product, followed by a comprehensive report of research outcomes and engineering insights, paving the way for Phase III transition.