Model Airplanes

Printed headline: Inspecting by Drone

EasyJet and unmanned-aircraft developer Blue Bear Systems Research made headlines in 2015 when they demonstrated inspecting an airliner by using a drone. Fast forward to 2018, and the partners are close to fielding a system to assist with visual inspections for hail, lightning strike and other damage.

“There are now other people out there, but we still think we are fairly far ahead with a solution that is integrated with an existing MRO database,” says Gavin Goudie, operations director at UK company Blue Bear. “Access to EasyJet engineering has been a big boost.”

Toulouse-based Donecle delivered its first aircraft-inspection drone systems to operators at the end of 2017, says co-founder Josselin Bequet. The company began flight testing in 2015 and since 2016 has been developing the system with Air France Industries–KLM Engineering Maintenance, one of the early customers now using the system for general visual inspections, checking markings and paint quality.

Back in 2015, EasyJet demonstrated inspecting an Airbus A320 inside a hangar at Luton, England, using Blue Bear’s Riser drone. This is a specialized air vehicle with four enclosed rotors designed to operate in confined spaces. “Riser is designed for nuclear inspection. We needed a dedicated system for aircraft inspection so we created Rapid,” Goudie says. “Now we are close to commercial release.”

Rapid, which stands for Remote Automated Plane Inspection and Dissemination, has been developed with UK company Output42, which provides software for 3D modeling and damage reporting. They have formed a joint venture, MRO Drone, to

Article source: http://www.mro-network.com/technology/aircraft-inspection-drones-entering-service-airline-mros

Ride-hailing company Lyft is joining with large Canadian auto parts supplier Magna to develop self-driving vehicles, sharing expenses on a multi-year project that could vault them onto the leader board in autonomous technology.

The companies announced the partnership Wednesday and also said that Magna would invest $200 million in Lyft.

Raj Kapoor, Lyft’s chief strategy officer, says Lyft needs auto industry expertise to manufacture autonomous vehicle components and eventually build the vehicles. Automakers know how to design vehicles so they meet safety regulations and can be manufactured easily, Kapoor said.

“The auto industry has perfected all of these tools and all of those processes,” he said.

Once technology is developed, Magna would be free to sell it to other companies, which would be encouraged to place their vehicles onto Lyft’s ride-sharing network, Kapoor said.

The tie-up is a huge step forward for both companies, Navigant Research analyst Sam Abuelsamid says. Before the announcement, he was skeptical of Lyft’s autonomous vehicle efforts because it had no manufacturing ability and very limited data to offer from its ride-hailing network.

Magna, he said, knows how to build sensors and assemble engine control computers. “They know how to do electronics,” he said. “They have the capability to design and develop vehicles and manufacture them.” That can be paired with Lyft’s service expertise, Abuelsamid added.

The partnership pushes the companies into a group of leaders in the autonomous vehicle race, Abuelsamid says. Also in the race are Google’s Waymo, General Motors’ Cruise Automation, automotive tech company

Article source: https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2018/03/16/283641.htm

“I am excited to see where this journey will take me. ”

Now employed in human resources as a team member relations specialist, Cordule has worked her way through several jobs at the Huntsville engine plant, starting with assembling V-8 engines.

“Since my employment with Toyota, I have become more financially stable,” she said. “I’ve been afforded the opportunity to provide top-notch health care benefits for my family, and I’m looking forward to retiring from Toyota someday.”

At the same time, Cordule said, her career has challenged her on many levels.

“I have truly grown as an individual. I’ve also acquired a great deal of knowledge about engines. I can talk engines with my husband!”

As for her future career plans, Cordule says she wants to continue growing and advancing in the area of human resources.

“I am excited to see where this journey will take me,” she said.

PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES

There are similar stories at the state’s other major automotive plants operated by Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai, which continue to add new jobs, investments and innovations that broaden opportunities for their workforces.

For instance, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama has significantly increased its team of engineering professionals since starting up operations in Talladega County in 2001.

As the technology of Alabama-made Hondas has advanced, so too has the sophisticated skill sets of the automaker’s local workers.

At Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Tuscaloosa County, plans are under way to launch electric vehicle production, a $1 billion project

Article source: http://www.madeinalabama.com/2018/04/industry-growth-spurt-drives-opportunities-for-alabama-auto-workers/