Installation of electrical wiring on aircraft is a complex task that leaves little room for error. With the development of Augmented Reality system Apps, we propose to develop an enhanced depth sensitive image tracking tool to assist with the installation and maintenance of complex electrical wiring systems via a hardware agnostic Augmented Reality (AR) solution. The proposed system would consist of utilizing 3D micro-lidar cameras for locating/imaging common wire harness markers (restraints/clamps/connectors) for more accurate position and tracking. If components are not easily viewable, the system would use digitally stored wire restraint marker footprints to locate specific harness routing and composition. The proposed AR software tool could also be trained to incorporate aircraft wiring Condition Indicators CIs to also monitor wiring health effected by loose restraint devices, chafing, or electrical arcing - for incorporation into a future AR based wiring health management App. During the PhaseI program IDI will utilize commercial AR tools and hardware (MS Hololens) to prove concept and move to an Application Specific AR based wiring maintenance tool. During Phase II IDI will develop this AR tool with Textron for the maintenance of our HV propulsion duct anti-icing electrical harnesses currently manufactured for the Navys Ship-to-Shore connector.
Benefit: Maintenance operations and lifecycle engineering have largely been considered one of the most expensive and time-consuming components for industrial equipment. Widespread use of the proposed AR maintenance tool could thus lead significant maintenance cost savings across both the Aerospace and Industrial sectors.
Keywords: 3D lidar, 3D lidar, Wiring Inspection Maintenance, markers, Augmented Reality
