Revolutionizing Aging Aircraft Maintenance With 3D Drone Scanning
Representatives from Boeing, SEMPRE, Northrop Grumman, Skydio, and Near Earth Autonomy recently showcased advanced technologies on the B-52 Stratofortress at Barksdale Air Force Base. Air Force Global Strike Command, Air Mobility Command, and 8th Air Force leadership, along with B-52 maintainers, observed as these companies demonstrated innovative maintenance capabilities for the 60-year-old airframe using unmanned aerial systems (UAS), AI software, stand-alone networks, and augmented reality (AR) devices.
Enhancing Aircraft Maintenance with Technology
The demonstrations aimed to improve the efficiency and safety of physical scans of the aircraft, a labor-intensive and potentially hazardous task for maintainers. Master Sgt. Brett Jordan, the 307th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron production superintendent, highlighted the challenges: “Our maintainers do physical scans of the aircraft every 180 days and again every 450 flight hours, but there are areas that are difficult and time-consuming to inspect due to access.”
A notable solution was presented by Near Earth Autonomy, where a two-person team used a proprietary 35-pound drone to scan the surface of two Air Force Reserve Command B-52s. The drone sent data via a secure network to Boeing’s AI-enabled software, which provided instant feedback on problem areas on the jet’s surface.
The Role of SEMPRE T Network
The backbone of the demonstration was SEMPRE’s self-contained unit, the SEMPRE T, which is hardened against electromagnetic pulses and combines a 5G cellular network, decentralized hybrid cloud, and satellite gateway. Jon Huppenthal, SEMPRE’s chief technology officer, emphasized its resilience: “Things that would normally knock a network off the air won’t affect the SEMPRE T. It can be unpacked from a plane and be fully operational from a remote location with no connectivity in approximately 15-20 minutes.” Barksdale maintainers exceeded expectations by getting the SEMPRE T operational in just 10 minutes, providing a secure network with anti-tamper sensors, a zero-trust architecture, and end-to-end encryption.
Using the SEMPRE T network, Near Earth Autonomy’s drone completed a pre-programmed flight pattern to scan the B-52’s surface in minutes—a task that would typically take several maintainers hours. Hundreds of photos were transmitted in real-time to Boeing’s Automated Damage Detection Software (ADDS), which employs advanced AI algorithms to detect anomalies such as corrosion, missing seals, and paint delamination.
AI and Augmented Reality for Maintenance Efficiency
Scott Belanger, a retired Air Force maintenance officer now with Boeing’s Contested Logistics Solutions Team, highlighted the advantages of ADDS: “ADDS pinpoints anomalies so that when maintainers have to harness up and put themselves in danger by going 40 feet up to work on a tail, they know exactly where to go and how to fix it.” Belanger noted that employing ADDS on C-17 Globemasters at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam has reduced home station check times from eight to nine hours to just three hours, significantly improving safety and efficiency. The AI technology also boosts anomaly detection rates from an average of 50% by humans to 94%.
Skydio demonstrated a smaller, more deployable UAS, the X10D drone, weighing under five pounds and easily portable. Peyton Knippel, Skydio’s Director of Business for Air and Space Forces, emphasized its user-friendly design: “The XD10 uses a series of steps to set up the scan in only four minutes, significantly reducing cognitive load in a stressful environment.”
Northrop Grumman showcased AR capabilities, demonstrating how maintainers in remote environments could use AR-enabled glasses to collaborate with experts globally through the SEMPRE T network. Michael Hinkley, Northrop Grumman’s Sector Manager for Advanced Manufacturing, explained the security benefits: “The AR system allows maintainers to get real-time help without fear of unfriendly forces using the information against them.”
Revolutionizing Maintenance of Aging Aircraft
The integration of UAS, AI, secure networks, and AR technologies is revolutionizing the maintenance of aging aircraft like the B-52 Stratofortress. These demonstrations highlight the potential for enhanced safety, efficiency, and accuracy in aircraft maintenance, ensuring the continued reliability and readiness of critical military assets.