Implementation of advanced technologies into Aeronautic integrated maintenance concept - Use of virtual reality in ground-floor training maintenance execution

Abstract

Aviation Maintenance industry, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) procedures need to keep up with the technological evolution and evolve from the 2D support to the 3D. The available manuals for learning and training MRO tasks rely much on old 2D drawings and lists of maintenance steps to be performed sequentially. However, these are complex actions that require and would benefit greatly from a 3D insight in order to be quickly and comprehensible absorbed. Virtual Reality (VR) apps are potentially a suitable option to turn these procedures closer to reality and, thus, improving competences and skills. Amongst the several maintenance optimization developments of the AIRMES project, which is cradled in the EU Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking programme, the above concept is applied to maintenance execution by developing a VR app to help practitioners in the process of carrying out specific maintenance activities as removing and positioning components into aircraft structures. The VR app runs on a mobile platform that uses a smartphone and a portable motion capture device coupled with a head mounted device allowing the practitioners to learn and to train onsite on how to proceed with the maintenance operations. The practitioners will be in an immersive and interactive environment where both the host aircraft structure section with the target component and auxiliary/peripheral systems parts are displayed and in which the 3D component can be removed by virtual hands that emulate, through the motion capture device, the hands of the user. The system developed provides a high-level training and reliable information to the technician on the maintenance operations for a dedicated situation and facilitate the identification and execution of the procedure to be applied, improving the time for repair.