The different advantageous embodiments may provide an apparatus that may comprise a number of mobile robotic machines, a wireless communications system and a computer system. The number of mobile robotic machines may be capable of moving to a number of locations in a maintenance area and may be capable of performing a number of maintenance operations on a structure in the maintenance area. The wireless communications system may be capable of providing communication with the number of mobile robotic machines within the maintenance area. The computer system may be capable of exchanging information with the number of mobile robotic machines using the wireless communications system.

Autonomous inspection and maintenance

The different advantageous embodiments may provide an apparatus that may include a number of robotic machine groups, a mission planner, and a mission control The mission planner may be capable of generating a mission for the number of robotic machine groups The mission control may be capable of executing the mission using the number of robotic machine groups

Supervision and Control of Heterogeneous Autonomous Operations

A method and apparatus are present for monitoring a runway. Data is received about the runway from a number of sensors associated with an aircraft while the aircraft performs an operation on the runway. A number of conditions are identified for the runway using the data received from the number of sensors.

Runway Condition Monitoring

The disclosed embodiments relate to methods and systems for monitoring sub-systems of an aircraft to detect an abnormal condition, and for identifying one or more sources that are causing the abnormal condition. In response to detecting a trigger event during flight of the aircraft, data for a plurality of relevant parameters is measured and stored in a parameter file. The parameter file is transmitted from the aircraft over a wireless communication link, and relayed to a ground support network. At the ground support network, the measured data for the plurality of the relevant parameters is then used to identify the one or more sources that are causing the abnormal condition.

Methods and systems for aircraft health and trend monitoring

A method and apparatus of managing a forest (206). A forestry management system (100) comprises a forestry manager (202). The forestry manager (202) is configured to receive information (220) about a forest (206) from a group of autonomous vehicles (226), analyze the information (220) to generate a result (302) about a state (304) of the forest (206) from the information (220), and coordinate operation of the group of autonomous vehicles (226) using the result (302).

Forestry management system

The different advantageous embodiments provide an apparatus comprising a number of landing gear components for a vehicle, a number of systems, and a number of processor units. The number of systems is configured to generate data about the number of landing gear components and the vehicle. The number of processor units is configured to monitor the data and manage health of the number of landing gear components.

System and method to assess and report the health of landing gear related components

The different advantageous embodiments provide an apparatus comprising a number of tires for a vehicle, a number of systems, and a number of processor units. The number of systems is configured to generate data about the number of tires and the vehicle. The number of processor units is configured to monitor the data and manage the health of the number of tires.

System and method to assess and report the health of a tire

A method for health monitoring of a damper associated with a landing gear is described which includes receiving sensor data from a pressure transducer and an accelerometer and optionally a thermal sensor operably mounted on or near the damper, a computer system, and applying, using the computer system, a diagnostic algorithm to the sensor data to induce and predict the health of the damper.

Systems and methods for monitoring health of vibration damping components

A method for monitoring systems of a vehicle may include determining relevant information used by at least one of a plurality of wireless networked computers based on at least a function performed by the at least one wireless networked computer with respect to an associated one of a multiplicity of components of the systems of the vehicle. The method may also include formulating a customized information message for the at least one of the plurality of wireless networked computers based on at least the relevant information used and the function performed by the at least one wireless networked computer. The method may further include transmitting the customized information message to the at least one of the plurality of wireless networked computers.

Monitoring systems of a vehicle by generating and transmitting customized information messages to wireless networked computers

Systems and methods are provided for retrieving values from a data bus of a vehicle One illustrative method includes applying values from sensors at a vehicle to addresses of a data bus at the vehicle, retrieving values from the addresses of the data bus based on an operational state of the vehicle, and determining that the vehicle has entered another operational state The method further includes loading a second sampling scheme corresponding with the other operational state, and retrieving values from an address of the data bus at a new rate corresponding with the other operational state

David A. Followell

Papers

System and method to assess and report the health of landing gear related components

System and method to assess and report the health of a tire

Systems and methods for monitoring health of vibration damping components

Monitoring systems of a vehicle by generating and transmitting customized information messages to wireless networked computers

Vehicle monitoring system that dynamically varies data acquisition