Muscat – Student-led project Drone Lens has demonstrated that combining artificial intelligence (AI) with drones offers a smart and precise solution for aircraft inspection and maintenance.
Munther bin Ali al Amri, CEO and co-founder of the project, described Drone Lens as a “significant leap forward in aircraft inspection and a notable example of innovation in aviation and technology”.
The project is one of the winners in the Upgrade programme, which aims to transform promising ideas into start-up companies under the supervision of Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
According to Amri, the objective of Drone Lens is to enhance accuracy and efficiency of aircraft inspections while reducing operational costs. “The project leverages drone technology and an autonomous vision system for aircraft maintenance, guided by machine learning techniques.”
The drones are equipped with advanced cameras and sensors that gather detailed visual data. Machine learning algorithms, including neural networks and deep learning models, analyse this data to detect faults and issues with high precision. The system is programmed to recognise patterns using a dataset of various aircraft problems.
Amri further explained that the algorithms undergo continuous testing and evaluation with real data from previous inspections.
Security measures, such as data encryption and advanced protocols, are in place to ensure the integrity of operations and data. The project also uses criteria like accuracy, speed and efficiency to monitor the quality of inspections and continually improve the algorithms.
The Drone Lens project is a collaborative effort, involving academic institutions, drone companies, government agencies, and experts in AI and aviation. “This partnership enables knowledge exchange and contributes to the project’s success. It is an innovation that not only enhances aviation safety and operational efficiency but also opens up new possibilities for future applications in various sectors,” Amri added.
