The paint and coatings manufacturer AkzoNobel has acquired a minority stake in Donecle. Donecle's technology automates the general visual inspection of aircraft and also detects paint defects, scratches and other coating problems.
For automated inspections, drone technology is a key component of AkzoNobel's new Aerofleet Coatings Management Service. The technology was originally developed for general visual inspection of aircraft, such as detecting and identifying lightning strikes. The results are then analyzed to determine the overall condition of the coating and whether or when it needs to be renewed.
"The new technology is in line with our commitment to develop new and increasingly innovative services and solutions that help our aerospace customers reduce costs, improve efficiency and support significantly more sustainable operations," said Patrick Bourguignon, BU Director, AkzoNobel Automotive and Specialty Coatings.
As part of the Aerofleet Coatings Management solution, drones fly over the surface of the aircraft in a defined grid, taking up to 1,000 HD photos. These are then analyzed by Donecle's bespoke machine learning algorithm, which is based on a two-stage neural network. The drones are able to inspect the aircraft surface faster than humans, and the drones fly and land fully automatically using laser positioning technology and navigation sensors.
Source: Products Finishing
