Diehl Aviation has developed a new artificial intelligence-based tool to simplify aircraft cabin inspections and reporting. Originating from its work on the i+sCabin intelligent cabin concept, which aimed to connect cabin applications digitally, the new tool has been shortlisted for the 2024 Crystal Cabin Awards.

The Advanced Cabin Inspection and Reporting Tool (ACIRTo) allows flight crews and maintenance staff to digitally record cabin defects on a tablet or smartphone. In what Diehl describes as a simple three-step process, users can select the affected monument, equipment and defect, upload a photo and review the report before submission.

To further simplify the process, ACIRTo features an instant detection and classification system that uses artificial intelligence, which was based on an analysis of 500,000 defect reports.

“We wanted to understand which cabin defects are really painful for an airline,” says Lothar Trunk, program manager for innovation and senior expert for cabin systems at Diehl Aerospace. “During this analysis, we found laborious and error-prone handwritten recording methods. Today, even electronic logbooks are not widely used because they are considered complicated to use and therefore have not been used by maintenance and cabin crew.”

Diehl also had several workshops with airlines and their cabin specialists, including cabin walks onboard several aircraft, to formulate the basis for representative training of the AI system.

ACIRTo also enables real-time transmission of data, both in flight and on the ground. Diehl says the system is flexible and can be used with the communication channels approved by airlines. “To seamlessly fit into airlines’ operational processes, it will also include an API for their maintenance systems,” adds Trunk.

So far, ACIRTo has been tested with an unnamed airline, an airline expert and what Diehl says are non-experts. “The main focus of these initial tests was to get the necessary feedback on the ease of use of the tool with a minimum of training effort,” says Trunk.

The system is still in the development phase and Diehl plans to deliver the first product in 2025.