Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2023 - 31

RF & Microwave Technology
A composite image is also created of the radome
in isolation, to aid the robot in finding and analyzing
the part. (Image: Compass Technology Group)
technology's production hasn't yet
been scaled and its costs therefore
remain relatively high. Those costs can,
however, be offset over time by the
improved efficiencies that an AGV will
achieve for an organization.
Captured by a Velodyne Lidar-brand " Puck " sensor, this single-scan image begins the process of mapping
a workspace for the adaptive radome diagnostic system. (Image: Compass Technology Group)
Bringing the Technology to
Commercial Aerospace
We know that the commercial aerospace
sector is paying close attention to
the use of next-generation AGVs in the
defense industry. But we also know that
the commercial sector is more risk-averse
and cost-focused than its government-funded
counterpart.
Of course, the government sector is
risk-averse too, but the military has deeper
pockets, which allow it to more easily
mitigate the risks of developing and testing
new technology. Moreover, commercial
aerospace manufacturers often - and
quite understandably so - subscribe to the
maxim of, " If it ain't broke, don't fix it. "
Industry leaders might not, therefore, be
willing to consider new technology until
it's already established a strong track
record elsewhere.
A composite image of multiple scans of the workspace provides more comprehensive mapping data. Near
the middle of the image, we can now identify the radome that the self-navigating robot will be analyzing.
(Image: Compass Technology Group)
more sophisticated, enabling them to
make more decisions in more worksite
scenarios that their programmers hadn't
anticipated. For example, future technology
development will automate measurements
to other aircraft components that
are different sizes and shapes. Future
development will also adapt other sensor
Aerospace & Defense Technology, February 2023
technologies besides microwave NDE to
these autonomous robotic systems.
Meanwhile, the biggest hurdle that
next-generation AGVs must overcome
is scalability. With many aerospace and
defense clients still taking delivery of
their first mobile robot, and with most
of these AGVs being custom builds, the
mobilityengineeringtech.com
For those reasons, the commercial
aerospace industry is still likely several
years away from starting to use next-generation
AGVs in earnest. Meanwhile, providers
of self-navigating mobile robots
will continue to roll out and refine the
technology in the defense sector. That
sector is not only hungry for the technology;
it's also funding a lot of the requisite
research and development.
This article was written by Dr. John
Schultz, Chief Scientist at Compass
Technology Group, and Aaron Feick,
a network engineer at Aerobatix.
For more information, visit www.
compasstech.com.
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Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2023

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