In early 2020, the French Defense Innovation Agency launched a program in partnership with 8tree, Donecle and Dassault to explore automated drone-based dent-inspection of the Rafale military aircraft.
The focus of this program was to develop an integrated solution comprising dentCHECK – 8tree’s 3D dent-mapping technology – onboard a Donecle drone, to enable automatic inspection of aircraft surfaces.
Tested on metallic and composite surfaces, this integrated ‘flying dentCHECK’ solution allows the comparison of new inspection results against the aircraft’s digital damage record.
The collaborative project was able to validate the technology at the French military base 118 in Mont-de-Marsan. Within one hour, the flying dentCHECK inspected dents and bumps of an entire Rafale fighter with accuracy of 0.1mm depth and 2mm size.
“It’s all about automating non-destructive testing tasks and procedures. The 100% automated flying dentCHECK drastically reduces the time taken to inspect an aircraft while improving the quality of maintenance operations significantly.”, says Erik Klaas, 8tree’s CTO.
Both 8tree and Donecle will be exhibiting at MRO Europe in Amsterdam, October 19-21. The flying dentCHECK will be showcased at Donecle’s booth #3080C, while 8tree will be demonstrating the latest dentCHECK features at booth #9059.
About 8tree
“We make precision 3D measurement as simple as taking a photo”
With this vision in mind, 8tree makes 3D optical surface inspection tools that solve chronic problems for multiple industries. 8tree’s products empower every operator – from mechanics on the floor, to engineers in the lab – with instantly actionable precise measurements, portability and performance. With its patented user-centric product design, instant ‘go/no-go’ answers and zero-learning curve, 8tree is committed to making precision 3D scanning more broadly accessible – technically and commercially.
