Thought this was a interesting subject so I am sharing it. Smart skin for aircraft?
When you get a cut or a scratch, your nerves freak out and tell your brain. In a millisecond, without even thinking about it, you know you're hurt. But, when a plane's exterior is damaged, its pilot doesn't always realize it right away. Or, worse, in time to avert a crash.
It's a tricky problem, but not impossible. Not anymore.
The brains at BAE Systems' Advanced Technology Centre in Chelmsford, England, are solving the conundrum in a seriously cool way -- for military aircraft at least. The British defense contractor says it's developing a human-like "smart skin" coating for airplane fuselages (the central structure a plane's wings, engines and tails connect to). Yes, skin that "feels" when the fuselage gets "hurt."
https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/engineers-developing-tech-could-airplanes-more-human-130000209.html
I guess the skin of the aircraft would have small sensors embedded all over the aircraft skin. Can we get too technical? This will be on military aircraft in the beginning and will probably work itself over into the commercial sector. This skin will likely be spray-on and will be able to heal itself. Very interesting indeed.
Together, the self-powered super particles, working with a companion software program and wireless networking tech, will communicate with each other similar to how our skin communicates with our brain. They'll perpetually keep tabs on aircraft conditions and automatically tip pilots off to potential issues -- including stress, heat or other damage -- "before they become significant."
The hope is that the smart skin will replace the bulky, old-school fuselage thermometers, airspeed tubes and other costly instruments pilots rely on. They should also reduce the need for routine ground check-ups and speed up the replacement of faulty aircraft parts.
Hey spacemaverick
Yea that is what they are releasing. I have read a few things about this.
What are they doing behind closed doors that we don't know?
Bless
Back
Interesting...This could be the same material DARPA has been developing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAx8QUaKG18
Yep
Scarry isn't it
Bless
Back
Quote from: Back on September 03, 2014, 11:09:11 PM
Hey spacemaverick
Yea that is what they are releasing. I have read a few things about this.
What are they doing behind closed doors that we don't know?
Bless
Back
Very interesting but like you said...what is going on behind closed doors. Once had an engineer tell me that what you see in the open you will find they are anywhere 50 to 75 years ahead in secret.