Aircraft Visual Damage Inspection with Autonomous Drone and Image Processing

Abstract

The drone-based aircraft visual inspection system is optimized for inspecting the surface of the whole aircraft. The drone is equipped with ultrasonic sensors capable of detecting obstacles and halting the inspection if needed. The drone is capable of flying with and without the need for remote piloting. The drone follows a predefined inspection path and the autonomous drone captures all the required images with its on board camera. The implementation of the drone will reduce the overall inspection time. High-quality pictures are then transferred to a pc database for detailed analysis using a software system. It measures visual damage on an aircraft’s surface by image processing. Finally, the software generates an inspection report.