Page 41 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2016 Online Magazine

oPinion GRAHAM GROSE

the aircraft on the tarmac. Images of capabilities of maintenance engineers on-site to manage maintenance – it can be
the aircraft are sent to maintenance on the ground - ‘augmenting’ flight- taken care of by using new technology.
specialists for assessment - feeding any line workers’ skills. IFS believes adding Civil aviation organizations can achieve
issues they see back to the engineer cognitive applications and voice- realizable benefits by integrating these
on the ground, who can carry out the controlled intelligent agents, similar to emerging technologies into their business
work promptly, resulting in quicker turn- Siri, to wearable devices would further and maintenance processes, which can
around times. Google Glass may have augment such workers’ skills, helping them only be achieved with an agile software
needed some rethinking for the consumer identify and act on specific problems with infrastructure in place that can adapt to
market, but wearable technology offers more autonomy. new business processes.
substantial business potential. Air quality sensor and barometer
Another example is EasyJet, which features help engineers monitor their (Graham Grose is Industry Director for IFS
equipped its engineers uniforms with work environment and create a map of air A&D)
wearable tech to make them more quality in different cities for passenger
effective. information.
LEDs were equipped in jacket hoods
to illuminate work areas and leave both Maintenance Drones
hands free for aircraft inspections and We are now also seeing civil aviation
maintenance. organizations exploring the use of drones
In-built video cameras on uniforms for maintenance. Drone technology can
allow remote diagnosis of technical be used for damage inspection, scheduled
issues - along with surround sound and a maintenance, spare parts delivery or
microphone for instant communication. automating detection or defects.
IFS is working with XM Reality™ to The common factor here between GE Aviation managed to consolidate
bring forward a remote expert to assist drones and wearable technology is that hundreds of parts into a handful of
in complex maintenance to broaden the there doesn’t have to be a human engineer components with 3D printing
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