BANC3 proposes the use of Augmented Reality (AR) technology to enhance the capabilities of aircraft maintainers, by giving more natural, intuitive, hands-free instruction. Benefits include reducing manning and empowering the ability to rapidly employ advanced equipment such as cold-spray metallization and clean-laser systems, and using recording capability, providing an accurate, objective assessment of material readiness such as corrosion state. We will demonstrate unique Mixed Reality (MR) capabilities such as the ability to display virtual objects, using a currently available best-of-breed AR product and applications running on a common, open-source operating system capable of completely stand-alone operation, and we will provide a path to a military-hardened product that meets all environmental, ElectroMagnetic Interference/ Compatibility (EMI/ C) and Information Assurance Requirements for operation in a maritime environment. We will assess the applicability of currently available AR smartglasses and technology to aircraft maintenance practices as well as to use of advanced equipment such as cold-spray metallization and clean-laser trimming systems. We will suggest specific functions based upon customer input / need and the availability of suitable software applications. Then we will demonstrate these and quantitatively demonstrate the benefits in reduced manpower and/ or enhanced effectiveness. The training demonstration may use the full suite of current ThirdEye user interface functions including head gestures, pushbuttons (the pushbuttons on the ThirdEye product, with the cursor moved by head gesture), and/ or voice recognition and gesture controls. These may be used to enhance the user experience while using available, open-standard instruction. We will prepare for trainee use, three-dimensional virtual training material using markerless SLAM capability (available in the BANC3 ThirdEye product, this function will be available in the selected technology following the survey portion of this program). We will show how AR can provide an Objective record for Aircraft Inspection actions and results. This can include cleaning, coatings removal, non-destructive inspection, with full, high resolution video recording of all procedures. The video recordings will provide an accurate record of Material Readiness Condition. We will also show Other NDI features, e.g. providing an external camera feed into the MR Smartglasses, to easily enable inspections in tight places (into which a user cannot fit). As part of this phase, we can consider providing multi-level hearing protection, including active noise cancellation, for an inspector using the selected AR smartglasses.
Benefit: BANC3s sales and marketing team has demonstrated a clear demand in the commercial sector from US factories, warehousing, and manufacturers who need an AR system for instruction that is also rugged, and water resistant. (Customers may include Walmart, Porsche, and Honeywell). BANC3 took the headset we developed under a Phase II SBIR with the US Army, PEO STRI and successfully commercialized it. Hundreds of units have already been shipped to commercial customers, and we are entering mass production in early January of 2020. BANC3 believes the Navy instruction methodology and algorithms from this SBIR would directly apply to our current product line and that we could begin selling it as soon as it was ready. The left side of the figure below shows a list of customers from our sales pipeline whom we believe will use the type of instruction applications to be demonstrated and developed during this SBIR effort. We are confident that with the end-products produced by the Phase II SBIR effort, BANC3 will have no trouble commercializing the intended instruction applications described here. Other customers include commercial avionics suppliers such as Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, Boeing, and Honeywell. According to a recent report by Goldman Sachs summarized in the left side of the figure below, the commercial use cases for Augmented Reality are projected to be a $190 billion market and security applications alone are expected to be at least a $10B market. Commercialization Potential
Keywords: Augmented Reality, Augmented Reality, Open-source, mixed reality, ThirdEye, Smartglasses, Aircraft maintenance, AR/MR, BANC3
