Pratt & Whitney and Awiros launch AI-based aircraft engine inspection tool

"The Percept tool helps reduce time and effort involved in the pre-and-post lease analysis of aircraft engines.”

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Aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney has teamed up with Indian start-up company Awiros to launch its new AI-based aircraft engine inspection tool, Percept. This new product aims to reduce engine inspection time by nearly 90% as it automates the process.

Key information:

  • Pratt & Whitney and Awiros have launched Percept, an advanced AI-based aircraft engine analysis tool.
  • The device captures images and videos of aircraft engines, and provides real-time responses regarding the availability of parts, reducing inspection times by 90%.
  • The solution will be deployed exclusively on Pratt & Whitney's commercial engines, including the GTF engine and the V2500.

The Percept tool operates on top of the Awiros Video Intelligence Operating System (OS), with its cloud-based interface providing the means to allow users to capture images and videos of aircraft engines on mobile devices. Due to the product’s ability to provide real-time responses on the availability of parts, leased engine assets have a quicker and more cost-effective turnaround period. The solution will only be deployed on Pratt & Whitney’s commercial engines, including the V2500 and GTF engines.

"The Percept tool helps reduce time and effort involved in the pre-and-post lease analysis of aircraft engines," said O Sung Kwon, Vice President, Customer Support, at Pratt & Whitney. "We have been working with Awiros, an Indian Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence (AI) start-up for the past few years to mature this technology; we are excited to be shifting from technology development to now bringing an operational product to the market."

Awiros won the RTX Innovation Challenge with its solution to optimise and automate aircraft engine inspections whilst also reducing human interventions. The Indian start-up triumphed over 60 other start-up companies from the computer vision, AI, and machine learning sectors. Awiros solution will be launched commercially later this year.

"Building the Percept tool in collaboration with RTX has been one of the most exciting opportunities in the journey of Awiros as a start-up. We are proud that Percept's high-fidelity scanning of Pratt & Whitney engines with handheld mobile phones, without any specialised hardware, is being commercially deployed in the aerospace industry," said Vikram Gupta, Founder and CEO of Awiros.

"As the fastest growing aviation industry and world's emerging start-up capital, India has become a hotbed for agile aerospace innovation," said Ashmita Sethi, President & Country Head, India, Pratt & Whitney (UTCIPL). "Percept is the result of some of India's best and brightest minds collaborating with Pratt & Whitney to innovate a solution that delivers significant efficiencies and value to our customers."