Visualization concept for maintenance information using wearable devices

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show the current state of methods for information visualization on wearable devices and demonstrate how these devices and methods can be used to support the work of aircraft maintenance engineers. This paper develops a path to make aircraft maintenance tasks more efficient and safe by providing relevant and important information to maintenance personnel matching the task they are currently working on.Design/methodology/approachThe current researchers elaborate prerequisites that wearable computing devices have to meet to use them in aircraft maintenance. Based on these prerequisites the researchers evaluate such existing devices and visualization techniques with regard to how they can be used to visualize information in aircraft maintenance processes.FindingsThis paper elaborates a roadmap how wearable devices can be applied in future aircraft maintenance scenarios. It also shows that augmented reality (AR) is a technology that shows great potential to support aircraft maintenance staff. The current researchers develop a scenario, how AR applications on wearable devices support such tasks.Practical implicationsThe implementation of the maintenance scenario that is developed in this paper will vastly reduce the possibilities of mistakes by maintenance personnel. This leads to more efficient maintenance processes and further increases the safety of aviation in general.Originality/valueAlthough AR today already is used in fields of application like gaming, an application of this technology in a safety-critical environment is not known to the author. This paper provides a step towards extending the application domains of this technology to aircraft maintenance.