Can Drones Replace the Mechanic’s Eyes?

Drones are increasingly being used in a variety of ways.

How do you imagine drones helping in aircraft maintenance?

After doing experiments last year that tested the co-existence of manned aircraft and drones, ANA collaborated with Aerosense^（*） to conduct the first aircraft inspection trial using a drone. This took place at MRO Japan, a company doing aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul located next to Itami Airport, where each company contributed their knowledge and used a drone to do maintenance checks on the upper areas of an airplane.

Currently, mechanics ride on aerial lifts to visually inspect the top of the airplane and its wings for any damage by lightning or other causes. This means working at a height of up to 20 meters, which is equivalent to the sixth or seventh floor of a building! So they must use extreme caution in their work.

For this trial, the drone was programmed to fly around the airplane and take high-resolution images of the upper exterior surfaces, test inspection methods, and collect visual data for analysis. The drone flew safely and data was collected quickly, so it was a big success!

The collected image data will be stored in the cloud, and trials will continue with the goal of developing a system that can immediately confirm and analyze the data. The use of drones is expected to keep growing in aircraft inspection and maintenance.

As the use of drones progresses and is used more throughout society, ANA will contribute to the development of an infrastructure for drone flights based on our knowledge and experience from 60 years of operating manned aircraft.

* Aerosense Inc.
A joint venture combining the strengths of Sony Corporation’s imaging technology with ZMP Inc.'s experience in automated operation technology, offering integrated cloud and drone services. Collaborating with leading companies across industries, the company will contribute to develop a safe and sustainable society through efficient logistic and management.