Fusion Enhanced Vehicle Level Diagnostic System

Global Technology Connection, Inc. in conjunction with its partner, Vanderbilt University, is proposing to build a Fusion-enhanced Vehicle Diagnostics System (FVDS) framework to combine various information to help make go/no-go decisions from a safety point of view. Specifically single vehicle will be pursued by looking at each aircraft as a single entity. The system will ensure that the aircraft will make the next maintenance interval by catching errors in the shop and/or detecting emerging problems to maintain vehicle safety between major inspection intervals with an emphasis on the subsystems of airframe, avionics, and propulsion. The system will provide condition indicators, using model-based or data-driven approaches, from a subsystems' or components' point of view, and these will be fused, using the hybrid modeling based on Bayesian theory and/or graph theory, to provide overall safety from a system point of view. FVDS approach consists of a multi-level processing architecture that includes three levels of reasoners: 1. Individual Components and Line Replaceable Units that provide BIT test, sensor measurements and control commands to track the behavior of the particular component, and report faulty and abnormal conditions; 2. Subsystem reasoners to monitor the state of health of the airframe subsystem; and 3. System or Vehicle level reasoner to combine diagnostic and prognostic information from the individual subsystems, puts them on a time line, and also analyzes cascades of faults.

An intelligent fusion-enhanced vehicle level diagnostic reasoning system will have many applications related to NASA's mission objectives. This system could be used in NASA's manned and unmanned aerial, land, space, and sea vehicles and stations to provide capability of automatic data processing and vehicle and/or subsystem/component level health assessment for maintenance.

A system that provides fusion-enhanced diagnostic/prognostic reasoning will have several potential commercial applications including integrated vehicle health management systems and control systems for commercial airplanes (Boeing 737, 747, 787, etc.), manned or unmanned ground vehicles, ships, lifts, (nuclear) power stations, construction equipment (cranes, bulldozers, etc.), and others.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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