A system that allows airplanes to “feel” damage in a way similar to human skin is in development by British defense contractor BAE Systems. The technology works by covering the plane’s body with tens of thousands of micro-sensors able to detect problems before they occur. The devices could measure wind speed, temperature, strain, and movement. Senior research scientist Lydia Hyde says the idea came to her while watching her tumble dryer, which uses a sensor to prevent overheating.
“Observing how a simple sensor can be used to stop a domestic appliance from overheating got me thinking about how this could be applied to my work and how we could replace bulky, expensive sensors with cheap, miniature, multi-functional ones,” says Hyde. “This led to the idea that aircraft could be covered by thousands of these, creating a smart skin that can sense the world around them and detect stress, heat, or damage.”
The sensors, possibly as small as dust particles and with their own power source, could even be sprayed onto aircraft like paint, according to BAE.
