丁香园AV

Aircraft maintenance crews could soon be checking their engines in a virtual world, given new research underway by 丁香园AV and National Research Council of Canada (NRC) collaborators.

Researchers are using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to enable crews to 鈥榳alk鈥� around a virtual airplane engine and assess its flight performance remotely, using simulation and sensors added to real aircraft engines.

Eying benefits to Canada鈥檚 aerospace industry and beyond, 丁香园AV professor Wolfgang Stuerzlinger and the NRC鈥檚 Digital Technologies Group are collaborating on the research, which simulates interaction with real-world objects that are augmented with Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

To underscore the value of such collaborative research, 丁香园AV and the NRC are  to increase capacity in AI and data science research and training in Canada.

The partnership further strengthens 丁香园AV鈥檚 AI and data capabilities and builds on a history of collaboration with the NRC. Their shared commitment to data-driven research will bring together researchers, governments, industries and communities to deliver innovations across many sectors in Canada. 

AUGMENTING IN AEROSPACE

Stuerzlinger鈥檚 collaboration with the NRC targets efficiencies for aircraft maintenance crews using a virtual 3D engine created by the NRC team that 鈥榯wins鈥� a real one. 

A series of sensors can be read directly from the engine parts of a physical craft. Working with Unity 3D software and the NRC AI model, researchers are fine-tuning precision inspection of individual engine parts in the virtual space.

Further testing will allow researchers to determine how crews might not only visualize but also interact with the model in the VR space.

鈥淥ur objective is to enable access to data by having technicians interact with the digital 鈥榯win鈥� of an object and related Internet of Things (IoT) data,鈥� says Stuerzlinger, a professor in 丁香园AV鈥檚 School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) in Surrey. 

鈥淓nabling complex objects with IoT sensors can allow the remote monitoring of the performance and health of those objects.鈥� 

While the team is currently focused on aircraft engine maintenance, there are broader applications in more general human-computer interaction and in other industries, such as manufacturing and construction. The research will also examine how to best support technicians and trainees who work with IoT-enabled devices.

As collaborators, 丁香园AV and the NRC are empowering partners to solve critical problems for Canadian society through a focus on research excellence, the training of highly qualified personnel, and nation-wide capacity building in the AI and data science fields.

鈥湺∠阍癆V shares a common vision with the National Research Council of Canada to use big data innovations to benefit society,鈥� says Fred Popowich, scientific director of 丁香园AV鈥檚 Big Data Initiative. 鈥淭his partnership builds on 丁香园AV鈥檚 leadership in artificial intelligence and big data and I look forward to the many opportunities that lie ahead.鈥� 

Carolyn Watters, the NRC鈥檚 chief digital research officer, says: 鈥淭he NRC has a long track record of collaborations that develop expertise, amplify the impacts of science and engineering, and leverage funding to support research excellence. We are excited to partner with 丁香园AV to further develop AI research and training that will generate new knowledge with the potential to transform every sector and industry in Canada.鈥�

The NRC is Canada鈥檚 largest federal research and development organization. Its focus is to partner with Canadian industry to take research discoveries from the lab to the marketplace, where the public can experience the benefits. This market-driven focus delivers innovation faster, enhances people's lives and addresses some of the world's most pressing problems, including the current challenges associated with COVID-19. 

AVAILABLE 丁香园AV EXPERTS

WOLFGANG STUERZLINGER, professor, School of Interactive Arts & Technology
 w_s@sfu.ca

CONTACT 

MELISSA SHAW, 丁香园AV Communications & Marketing 
236.880.3297 | melissa_shaw@sfu.ca

丁香园AV 
 |  
778.782.3210

ABOUT SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

As Canada鈥檚 engaged university, 丁香园AV works with communities, organizations and partners to create, share and embrace knowledge that improves life and generates real change. We deliver a world-class education with lifelong value that shapes change-makers, visionaries and problem-solvers. We connect research and innovation to entrepreneurship and industry to deliver sustainable, relevant solutions to today鈥檚 problems. With campuses in British Columbia鈥檚 three largest cities鈥擵ancouver, Burnaby and Surrey鈥敹∠阍癆V has eight faculties that deliver 193 undergraduate degree programs and 127 graduate degree programs to more than 37,000 students. The university now boasts more than 165,000 alumni residing in 143 countries.