Image-R: Handheld Imaging Tool to Identify Loose Aircraft Fasteners, Rivets, and Bolts in Expeditionary Agile Environments

The Air Force has no way to identify loose fasteners, nuts, and bolts in aircraft and other critical equipment in expeditionary environments. The Air Force relies on niche specializations, human error-prone processes, and time-consuming manual workflows to conduct non-destructive testing and inspection (NDT/NDI), increasing maintenance time and risking aircraft mishaps. Overall this reduces agile air base’s resiliency and ability to self-sustain. To address these challenges, aRoboticsCompany proposes to develop a handheld variant of its Image-R sensing robot to empower the Air Force with an expeditionary NDT/NDI capability to better identify  loose fasteners, nuts, and bolts without relying on distant depot level maintenance support. aRoboticsCompany will conduct an R/R&D feasibility study to determine how to enhance imaging resolution, improve power efficiency, accelerate data processing, integrate real-time algorithms, and enhance hardware for field conditions for Air Force use. The proposed Image-R is a handheld structured light tool for enhanced detection of aircraft fastener, bolt, and rivet weakness and loosening in expeditionary agile environments. It enables rapid, accurate, and portable NDI/NDT for agile airfields with limited reachback capabilities to larger depot-level maintenance. Its smaller form factor allows technicians to inspect confined spaces within aircraft without requiring panel disassembly. The handheld, light-based capability makes NDI easier for non-maintenance personnel to quickly pick up, learn, and use, in line with the Multi-Capable Airmen concept. As a handheld tool it is easily portable and carries a smaller operational footprint. Image-R’s digitized mapping allows ongoing tracking of deficiencies; eliminates need for Airmen to manually record findings. The solution makes accurate NDT/NDI a reality for austere environments, and for Airmen with little experience in this field.