Innovative Design, Inc. was chosen to provide engineering, design, and technical writing services to assist Hill Air Force Base with the preparation of a Requirements Document in order to seek a source capable of the design, build, and installation of a Remotely Operated Robotic Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) System to inspect USAF Fighter Aircraft for structural problems without having to disassemble the aircraft. Currently, aircraft are inspected using Shearography and X-ray on disassembled aircraft components. The effort required to inspect these components, including disassembly, inspection, and re-assembly is extremely time-consuming and costly. It is the intent of Hill AFB to seek new and innovative technology, coupled with lessons learned, to inspect the intact aircraft in a new environmentally controlled hangar on the base.

Innovative Design provided conceptual design services which included 3D layouts of the hangar and the aircraft, as well as various options in 3D for the robotics. IDI provided Robotics Engineering expertise as well as many hours of research and working with robotics vendors in an effort to learn more about advancing technologies as well as lessons learned.