Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) has been granted a patent for a newly developed composite inspection robot.
The machine, dubbed VISION, is an autonomous and semi-autonomous cell for inspecting composite parts, and verifying and facilitating part repairs. VISION, the main industrial robot carrying out the inspections, automatically attaches to a set of interchangeable inspection and repair end effectors to carry out its processes.
For other features, the cell can be equipped with fixtures for supporting rotorcraft and rotating blades, and over time, a software applicant can use past inspection data to train the machine to recognize damage to composite parts based on inspection images.