COLLABORATIVE ROBOT FOR VISUALLY INSPECTING AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20160264262A1
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus
• Original Assignee: Airbus Group SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: COLIN, NICOLAS, GUIBERT, FRANK
• Granted Patent: US 9,952,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2694 Wings or other aircraft parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/04 Analysing solids using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/226 Handheld or portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45066 Inspection robot
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/44 inspection

Abstract

A device for visually inspecting the external surfaces of an aircraft includes an inspection area to receive an aircraft, at least one visual inspection robot, and a control center. A movable platform of the robot supports a turret having an observation unit. The robot includes a processing unit which guides the movable platform and process the data received from the observation unit. The processing unit of the robot are configured to autonomously control the robot during the visual inspection of the external surfaces of the aircraft parked in the inspection area; to interrupt a visual inspection in the event of a detection of an anomaly on the external surface of the aircraft; to transmit a visual inspection data to the control center; and to receive instructions from the control center.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A visual inspection device to visually inspect exterior surfaces of an aircraft parked in an inspection area, comprising

a visual inspection robot comprising a mobile platform carrying a turret with a viewing unit and a processing unit configured to guide the mobile platform and process information received from the viewing unit;

a control center with a station for at least one control operator; and

wherein the processing unit of the visual inspection robot is configured to;

drive the visual inspection robot autonomously during a visual inspection of the exterior surfaces of the aircraft parked in the inspection area;

interrupt an on-going visual inspection in an event of an anomaly being detected on the exterior surfaces of the aircraft during a course of the visual inspection;

transmit a visual inspection information to the control center; and

receive instructions from the control center as to what follow-up action to perform after the visual inspection.

22. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the visual inspection robot comprises a position unit to determine at any time during the course of the visual inspection a position of the visual inspection robot and an orientation of the viewing unit in an axis system connected with the aircraft.

23. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the processing unit of the visual inspection robot is configured to determine the position of the visual inspection robot and the orientation of the viewing unit by processing images of the aircraft being inspected and that are obtained by the viewing unit.

24. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 22, in which the visual inspection robot comprises an absolute-location device, the absolute-location device is at least one of the following:

a GPS receiver, optometry or laser telemeters aimed at reference targets and a movement integration device.

25. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the processing unit comprises a data storage unit to store data at least temporarily comprising at least geometric and graphic characteristics of an aircraft being inspected.

26. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the processing unit comprises a data storage unit to store data comprising anomaly characteristics to provide an anomalies library.

27. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the processing unit comprises an image processing unit configured to detect, in images transmitted by the viewing unit, anomalies visible to the viewing unit in a wavelength belonging to an optical spectrum.

28. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the viewing unit comprises an illuminating element configured to illuminate a light from a visible domain, from an infrared domain or from an ultraviolet domain.

29. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the viewing unit and the processing unit are configured to determine a three-dimensional shape of inspected exterior surfaces of the aircraft.

30. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a testing device configured to perform a non-destructive testing of a structure of the aircraft.

31. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 30, wherein the visual inspection robot performs all or some of the non-destructive testing.

32. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 30, wherein all or some of the non-destructive testing is performed by at least one control robot controlled by the visual inspection robot.

33. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the viewing unit is orientable in an elevation and in an azimuth with respect to a frame of reference of the mobile platform of the visual inspection robot.

34. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a position of a defect detected on the aircraft with respect to elements of an internal structure of the aircraft which are not visible from the outside of the aircraft.

35. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the visual inspection robot is configured to travel by rolling over the ground of the inspection area or by hovering in a volume a footprint of which corresponds substantially to the inspection area.

36. The visual inspection device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a plurality of inspection robots configured to jointly perform the visual inspection of one and same aircraft.

37. A visual inspection method for a visual inspection of an aircraft, comprising the steps of transmitting images of an exterior surface of the aircraft being inspected to a processing unit of a visual inspection robot;

analyzing the images by the processing unit to identify a presence of any potential visible anomalies;

transmitting data relating to a detected anomaly to a control center in response to a detection of a visible anomaly; and

interrupting the visual inspection at least in response to a determination by the processing unit that the detected anomaly at least belongs to a category of anomalies considered to be critical.

38. The visual inspection method as claimed in claim 37, in response to an interruption of the visual inspection due to the detected anomaly, instructions are transmitted to the visual inspection robots by the control center to continue with the visual inspection, the visual inspection robot continues with the visual instruction in accordance with the instructions.

39. The visual inspection method as claimed in claim 37, further comprising the step of calculating an amplitude of the visible anomaly by the processing unit using at least one of an optical measurement device to measure deformations and colorimetric analysis in at least one of a visible, infrared and ultraviolet domain of a light spectrum.

40. The visual inspection method as claimed in claim 37, in response to the detection of the visible anomaly, a zone affected by the visible anomaly is subjected to a non-destructive testing by the visual inspection robot or a non-destructive testing robot controlled by the visual inspection robot.