A small company called Near Earth Autonomy has developed a time-saving solution using drones to perform pre-flight inspections of commercial aircraft through the NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and a partnership with Boeing.
Before commercial aircraft are deemed safe to fly before each flight, a pre-flight inspection must be completed. This process can take up to four hours and can involve workers climbing around the aircraft to check for any problems, which can sometimes lead to safety incidents as well as diagnostic errors.
With funding from NASA and Boeing to advance commercial readiness, Near Earth Autonomy has developed a drone-enabled solution, under its Proxim business unit, that can fly around a commercial aircraft and collect inspection data in less than 30 minutes. The drone can autonomously fly around the aircraft to complete the inspection by following a computer-programmed task card based on FAA rules for commercial aircraft inspection. The card shows the flight path the drone’s software should take, giving drone operators a new tool to increase safety and efficiency.
“NASA has worked with Near Earth Autonomous System on autonomous inspection challenges in multiple domains,” says Danette Allen, NASA’s senior leader for autonomous systems.
“We are excited to see this technology move into industry to increase efficiency, safety and accuracy in the aircraft inspection process for overall public benefit.”
Images collected from the drone are shared and analyzed remotely, allowing airline maintenance experts to support repair decisions faster from anywhere. New photos can be compared to old photos to look for cracks, drilled screws, leaks and other common problems.
The user can ask the system to generate alerts if the area needs to be scanned again or the scan fails. Near Earth Autonomy estimates that using drones to inspect aircraft could save the aviation industry an average of $10,000 per hour in lost profits during unplanned time on the ground.
Over the past six years, Near Earth Autonomy has completed several rounds of test flights using its UAS system on Boeing aircraft used by American Airlines and Emirates.
NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Program, administered by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, aims to advance American ingenuity by supporting innovative ideas brought forth by small businesses to meet the needs of NASA and industry. These research needs are described in the annual SBIR submissions and target technologies that have great potential for successful commercialization.
Small businesses with 500 or fewer employees, or small businesses that collaborate with a nonprofit research institution such as a university or research laboratory, can apply to participate in the NASA SBIR/STTR program.