Researchers develop new bionic maintenance tools to maintain jet engines with "worm posture"

CTOnews.com September 8-A team of GE Aerospace Research engineers working with Binghamton University in New York has developed a new bionic maintenance tool that mimics the posture of worms to pass through aircraft engines for maintenance.

CTOnews.com inquired that the inaccessible parts of today's aircraft jet engines are often imaged using "endoscopes," which consist of a long hose with a camera that allows maintenance personnel to see the interior of the jet engine in real time through goggles or screens.

But gravity tends to cause the camera end of such devices to sag, and it is difficult to get the camera deep into the engine, so researchers have developed a bionic maintenance tool called Sensiworm.

General Electric learned that the service tool enters the engine in a push-pull motion similar to "inchworm," and uses spotlight-assisted cameras to transmit real-time video to image cracks, corrosion or other problems that may be encountered. In addition, the service tool's sensors can sniff out gas leaks and measure the thickness of thermal insulation coatings on engine components, while other sensing functions are currently under development.

Deepak Trivedi, chief robotics engineer at General Electric Aerospace Research Institute, said: "With micro-robot partners like Sensiworm, maintenance operators have more eyes and ears to conduct on-board inspections. With their soft, compliant design, they can inspect every inch of jet engine skin, transmitting real-time video and real-time data about the condition of parts that operators typically inspect. "