Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF161-125

Description

ABSTRACT: To address the Air Forces need for a self-referencing position system for 3D non-destructive evaluation (NDE) handheld tools of fifth-generation fighter aircraft, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop the new Aircraft Contour CorrElation SyStem (ACCESS). It is based on novel integration of COTS sensors combined with POC-developed algorithms running on real-time embedded hardware that can be easily attached to the existing handheld NDE tool and is co-aligned with its line of sight with a minimum impact to current application and process. Specifically, the innovations in ACCESS will enable the system to accurately determine its position in space and orientation (pitch, roll, yaw) at 30Hz in the aircraft coordinate frame. Hence, this low cost clip-on device offers the flexibility to use in a flightline environment during day or night and directly meets the requirement to capture precisely positioned measurement sets with an accuracy of 1 mm for use in change detection. In Phase I, POC will develop a proof-of-concept prototype to demonstrate its feasibility and a technology transition, integration, test, and validation plan. In Phase II, we will improve the prototype for an operational demonstration, update the transition plan and business case assessment, and finalize the integration and test/validation plan.; BENEFIT: Military applications of the ACCESS system will include assembly, maintenance, and inspection of military aircraft and spacecraft to support accurate registration of inspection data to actual part locations. In addition, ACCESS can be integrated with metrology tools and incorporated by the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin into the F-35 production, which will benefit from the increased tolerances for composite parts manufacturing, accelerated assembly process, and reduced rework needed for fitting parts into the aircraft. The ACCESS technology can be used for commercial airborne vehicles, in shipbuilding industry, in automotive industry and for many other applications where the high precision inspection and the automatic fitting process will reduce the overall cost of the products assembly. Furthermore, with minor modifications and optimizations, the ACCESS system can be positioned in the global non-destructive evaluation/testing (NDE/NDT) market as an augmentation for noncontact NDE/NDT systems for inspection of large nonuniform structures with complex geometries.