Automated Whole Body OML (Outer Mold Line) Defect Assessment

Inspection of aircraft outer mold line (OML) and structural defects are currently inspected visually, and position of defects is transferred manually to aircraft maintenance repair systems using transparent sheets. This method is labor intensive, requiring large maintenance man hours, and is prone to errors. To streamline this process, an automated whole-body inspection system based on several optical technologies is proposed that drastically reduces inspection time, provides accurate detection and positioning of defects, and provides a digital map of the location of defects that can be transferred to maintenance repair systems for easily locating defects for repair. During Phase I, the feasibility of the proposed approach was demonstrated using a combination of theory and experiments. Samples with representative defects were prepared and tested to demonstrate the ability and effectiveness of the proposed approach. During Phase II, a prototype sensor unit will be fabricated. Samples will be tested and defect data will be obtained. Defect parameters, including defect location, will be extracted from the data and compared to actual defect values, and accurate prediction of defect parameters will be demonstrated.