Sensors May Monitor Aircraft For Defects Continuously
Posted on July 30th, 2007 by ScienceDaily: Aviation News
Networks of sensors mounted on commercial aircraft might one day check continuously for the formation of structural defects, possibly reducing or eliminating scheduled aircraft inspections. Like nerve endings in a human body, in situ sensors offer levels of vigilance and sensitivity to problems that periodic checkups cannot, says Dennis Roach, who leads a Sandia National Laboratories team evaluating some of the first sensor systems for aircraft.