Toward soft robotic inspection for aircraft: An overview and perspective

Aircraft in both the commercial and defense sectors undergo significant disassembly in order to access and inspect critical structures and components. To limit the extent of disassembly needed and thus increase system availability, the concept of mobile robotic inspection has been notionally discussed for over 20 years. Notably this interest in mobile robotic inspection extends beyond aircraft to include civil infrastructure, pipelines, and nuclear plants where some robotic platforms are currently in use. However, the unique challenges associated with complex aircraft systems and structures remain to be addressed. With advancements in the fields of durable polymers, autonomous materials, flexible electronics, tailorable actuation, and others, soft robotics are an increasingly viable solution to the challenge of inspection in access-limited spaces. This perspective article will overview key advancements in pertinent technical areas and highlight scientific barriers to wide-spread use and acceptance of soft robotics for aircraft inspection.