Image of a digital twin of a C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft. Credit: Gecko Robotics.

Gecko Robotics will enable the defence prime L3Harris to maintain and sustain military aircraft in service with the US Armed Forces and its allies.

This industry partnership will focus on developing an extended reality (XR) capability that enhances detection of physical defects, allowing for improved efficiency in the aircraft maintenance and sustainment process.

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Operators will uses drones to fly around an asset (in this case an aircraft) and collect high quality images; as many as 10,000 during each process. Those images are stitched together to make up a three dimensional model of the asset. Using Gecko’s software, the operator can move around, zoom, and inspect that aircraft.

Digital twin technology

This ‘digital twin’ will allow military and industry service providers to view and manage operational aircraft maintenance remotely, allowing offsite inspections to occur without a full traveling crew.

Digital twins are virtual representations of physical assets, systems, people, or processes. They can help reduce downtime and increase productivity by enabling real-time monitoring and analysis and optimising manufacturing operations.

GlobalData forecasts that the global digital twins market will reach $154.3bn by 2030.

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Gecko has already begun to change how the US ship maintenance sector operates with its artificial intelligence and robotics (AIR) approach. The company’s photogrammetry expedites this process, which will help overcome the US Navy backlog, in which 40% of surface ships are said to leave the drydock on time.

Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft maintenance technicians from the 436 Transport Squadron secure a static line before a flight on a CC-130J Hercules aircraft at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, 10 February 2017. Credit: Government of Canada

L3Harris aircraft maintenance

With more than 430,000 square feet of hangar space, L3Harris conduct aircraft modernisation, maintenance, repair and overhaul for various fixed-wing platforms for users around the world.

This includes the F-35 Lightning combat aircraft, P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and the C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft for the US Navy and Air Force.

L3Harris also maintain the CF-188 Hornet, CC-150 Polaris, CP-140 Aurora, CH-148 Cyclone, CH-147F Chinook, CT-114 Tutor (Snowbirds) and the incoming CC-330 Husky fleet, al of which are in service with the Royal Canadian Air Force.