Navigator 2
Project Description
Navigator 2 is a multimedia wearable computer for a Boeing aircraft
inspection application. It is used by US Air Force personnel. An inspector
uses the system to examine the skin of a KC 135 aircraft for cracks
and corrosion during introduction to depot-level maintenence. The location
and type of each defect found is recorded on the Navigator 2
(using a graphical representation of the aircraft as a
location indicator). This type of inspection requires crawling over all of the
aircraft's skin, typically standing on a "cherry picker" but also attached via
safety harness and standing on top of the aircraft. The primary input is a
joystick providing general
2-dimensional input that is useful for positioning on the geographic-based
input where location is important. The joystick is used in conjunction with
speech to mark discrepencies. Field evaluations for aircraft inspection
at McClellan Air Force Base indicate not only approximately a 20 percent
savings in inspection time but also a dramtically reduced inspection data
entry time from hours to minutes.
Last updated on
19 July 1997