Automated visual inspection system

• US 8,982,207 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Jang, Jung Soon
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barazesh, Ellyar Y
• Application Number:
  US12/897,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20120081540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/128
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/44 inspection

Abstract

A method and apparatus for inspecting an object. In response to a presence of the object in an inspection area, a volume containing the object is identified. The volume has a plurality of portions. A number of sensor systems is assigned to the plurality of portions of the volume. Each sensor system in the number of sensors systems is assigned to a number of portions in the plurality of portions of the volume based on whether each sensor system is able to generate data with a desired level of quality about a surface of the object in a particular portion in the plurality of portions. Data about the surface of the object is generated using the number of sensor systems assigned to the plurality of portions of the volume. A determination is made as to whether a number of inconsistencies is present on the surface of the object using data.

Claims

1. A method for inspecting an object, the method comprising:

identifying, using a sensor system, a volume occupied by the object such that the sensor system comprises a mobile sensor system that moves a sensor of the mobile sensor system in the volume while generating pixel data about the object via a first robot, and a second robot that picks up, carries, and deploys the first robot on the object;

subsequently, using a computer system, dividing the volume into a plurality of portions and assigning a sensor in the sensor system to imaging a number of portions in the plurality of portions based upon a pixel capability of the sensor, the plurality of portions covering substantially all of a surface of the object and the sensor system generating pixel data for substantially all of the surface of the object, such that each pixel identifies a corresponding location on the object;

identifying, via the computer system analyzing images generated by the sensor, the object and baseline data for the object;

determining, based upon the computer system comparing the pixel data to baseline data, a presence of an inconsistency on the surface of the object;

the computer system subsequently selecting, based upon the inconsistency, and deploying a testing system to a portion containing the inconsistency, the testing system comprising a greater resolution than the sensor; and

the testing system performing testing on the portion containing the inconsistency.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to determining the presence of the inconsistency, identifying a number of maintenance operations to perform on the object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor generates images of the surface of the object and further comprising:

performing, using the testing system, non-destructive testing at the portion containing the inconsistency.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, using the pixel data, identifying the location for the inconsistency.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending the pixel data to the computer system; and

determining, by the computer system analyzing the pixel data, the presence of the inconsistency on the surface of the object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the presence of an inconsistency comprises:

comparing the pixel data to baseline data to form a comparison; and

determining, using the comparison, the presence of the inconsistency.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to determining the presence of an inconsistency, identifying a number of locations on the surface of the object for the inconsistency.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the baseline data is a number of images of the surface of the object generated by performing at least one of generating the number of images after manufacturing of the object and generating the number of images before a current use of the object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel data about the surface of the object comprises at least one of still images and video of the surface of the object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the pixel data about the surface of the object comprises moving a number of cameras about a number of axes using pan and tilt of the number of cameras.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a number of cameras having fixed locations, and wherein generating the pixel data about the surface of the object using the sensor system comprises generating a number of images using the number of cameras having fixed locations while the object is stationary.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of portions comprises a grid in a top view of the volume.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor systems are operated to generate pixel data about an entirety of the surface of the object substantially simultaneously.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a number of sensor systems configured to generate images of a surface of an object such that the number of sensor systems comprises;

a mobile sensor system that moves a sensor of the mobile sensor system in a volume while generating pixel data about the object via a first robot, and a second robot that picks up, carries, and deploys the first robot on the object; and

a computer system in communication with the number of sensor systems and configured to;

identify, responsive to a presence of the object, a volume that contains the object,

divide the volume into a plurality of portions to cover substantially all of the surface of the object, such that pixel data may be generated for substantially all of the surface of the object, such that each pixel identifies a corresponding location on the object;

assign a sensor in the number of sensor systems to image a number of portions in the plurality of portions based on a pixel capability of the sensor;

generate the pixel data about the surface of the object;

identify, based upon the images, the object and baseline data for the object;

compare the pixel data to baseline data;

determine a presence of an inconsistency on the surface of the object; and

deploy a testing system to obtain higher resolution data about the inconsistency.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer system is further configured to identify a number of maintenance operations to perform on the object in response to a determination of the presence of the inconsistency.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

a mobile testing system, wherein the computer system is further configured to send the mobile testing system to each portion containing an inconsistency, and wherein the mobile testing system is configured to perform non-destructive testing at each portion.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising the computer system configured to:

compare the pixel data to baseline data to form a comparison; and

determine, using the comparison, the presence of the inconsistency.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the baseline data is a number of images of the surface of the object generated by performing at least one of generating the number of images after manufacturing of the object and generating the number of images before a current use of the object.