Techno-economic analysis for smart hangar inspection operations through sensing and localisation at scale

Abstract

The accuracy, robustness and affordability of localisation are fundamental to autonomous robotic inspection within aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hangars. Hangars typically have high ceilings and are predominantly steel-framed structures with metal cladding. Because of this, they are regarded as GPS-denied environments, characterised by significant multipath effects and strict operational constraints, which together form a unique challenging setting. The lack of comparative techno-economic benchmarks for localisation technologies in such environments remains a critical gap. Addressing this, the paper presents the first techno-economic analysis that benchmarks motion capture (MoCap), ultra-wideband (UWB) and a ceiling-mounted camera (CMC) system across three operational scenarios: robot localisation, asset monitoring and surface defect detection within a single-bay hangar. A two-stage optimisation framework for camera selection and placement is introduced, which couples market-based camera-lens selection with an optimisation solver, producing camera layouts that minimise hardware while meeting accuracy and coverage targets. The consolidated blueprints provide quantification of the required equipment and its performance: 15 global-shutter GigE cameras are adequate for drone localisation, 9 cameras meet the requirements for on-bay monitoring and 49 high-resolution cameras facilitate defect mapping of the upper airframe surfaces for midsize defects. Across these scenarios, the study reports indicative performance and cost envelopes: a MoCap installation delivers submillimeter localisation at an estimated £190k per bay, UWB delivers centimetre-level tracking for around £49k and the proposed CMC system layouts achieve task-specific coverage with costs in the £9k–£77k range. The analysis equips MRO planners with an actionable method to balance accuracy, coverage and budget, demonstrating that an optimised CMC system can deliver robust and cost-effective sensing for next-generation smart hangars.