The two companies have jointly developed and tested a powerful adaptive robotic solution that can autonomously detect helicopter blades up to 7 meters long
This cutting-edge solution guarantees higher quality and greater flexibility without sacrificing accuracy or repeatability
Comau’s intelligent robots can sense and recognize their surroundings, calculate decisions, and intuitively optimize end-to-end inspection processes

5852-159 The aerospace industry’s increasing demands for faster processes, more precise control and higher quality are driving the development of a new generation of advanced automation systems to automate complex processes that not long ago could only be done manually. Especially when it comes to testing critical structural components such as helicopter blades, the potential benefits of automation are multiplied, as robotic inspection not only ensures accuracy, but also improves efficiency. It is able to perform each assigned task objectively, thus ensuring standardization and full compliance of the testing process.

To meet this demand, Comau and Leonardo are collaborating to develop and test a powerful adaptive robotic solution for the automatic detection of helicopter blades up to 7 meters long. The smart detection solution was field-tested in Anani, Italy, last year as a joint pilot development project. Today, the system is ready for use elsewhere, providing more robust MRO (Maintenance, Repair and overhaul) service capabilities.

Characteristic advantage

The solution combines cognitive robotics, advanced vision systems and artificial intelligence 5852-159 to automate tapping tests and multispectral surface inspection along non-linear blades to measure particle size at more than thousands of points and verify structural integrity. More importantly, compared to the repetitive, labor-intensive processes of the past, robotic inspection ensures 100% accuracy in the adaptive process and allows operators to enjoy greater safety and comfort while improving their job skills. In addition, in manual operations, technicians often teach each other experience in a non-standard way, and the shift from human to robotic automation will allow Leonardo to fully leverage the full benefits of process engineering.

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Function configuration

5852-159 Comau and Leonardo have shared their expertise to optimize the end-to-end inspection process. These capabilities include intelligent algorithms and advanced path planning that enable robots to sense and respond to their surroundings, as well as a comprehensive data acquisition and processing infrastructure that helps optimize sound and image recognition. When the robot mechanically stimulates the blade, the sound response is recorded and photographed using a multispectral camera in order to detect hidden and surface defects.

Another powerful feature of the system is the ability to automatically sense the environment. It first locates the blades placed on the carrier by the operator, detects various obstacles, and then computes the optimization of the beat and the planning of a collision-free path. All of this technical complexity is hidden behind a simple yet effective user interface based on low code programming. This allows the operator to program the robot with simple and user-friendly instructions: find the blade, determine the position, and perform the desired action. In this way, the operator’s role changes from performing repetitive and labor-intensive tapping tasks to using their experience to program the robot to run what is now a standardized process.

Intelligent automation enables robots to sense and recognize their surroundings, 5852-159 automatically make decisions, and intuitively optimize inspection processes, thereby helping to reduce the complexity of processes and optimize their results. This provides greater flexibility without sacrificing accuracy or repeatability.

Nicole Clement, Head of Comau’s Advanced Automation Solutions Division, explained that Comau is committed to designing and developing leading-edge technologies and solutions to be applied to complex processes and to extending the benefits of advanced automation to key industries such as aerospace. The collaboration with Leonardo gives us the opportunity to expand the field of innovation and develop smarter, data-driven inspection systems that enable objective evaluation of critical structural components in a standardized, automated and high-precision process.

Mattia Cavanna, Director of Technology and Innovation at Leonardo Helicopters, said: “This technology demonstration project perfectly aligns with Leonardo’s strategy to digitally transform traditional industrial processes, and is in line with our strong commitment to enhance technical support, resulting in tangible safety and quality benefits.