The idea is to include in one of the coatings of an aircraft an assortment of RFID tags. These can be categorized after painting by which part of the aircraft they're on or even precisely where each tag has ended up.

Using IP6 and a separate wireless radio frequency it will then be possible to tell the pilots whether any part of the aircraft's skin has been damaged and what position all the flaps are in. There will no longer be any doubt as to whether, for example, that storm bent the rudder. Or whether the outboard left aileron is moving at the full angle it's supposed to. This information can be included in the black box, displayed as a schematic to the pilots, and broadcast to the ground as budget and priorities decide.
-- Voice, Jan 19 2024

// Generally speaking, most passive HF and UHF RFID systems do not provide location accuracy—they tell you that a tag has been read by a specific reader. // You might have better luck with a laser scanner affixed to the aircraft.
-- sninctown, Jan 20 2024


//Generally speaking, most passive HF and UHF RFID systems do not provide location accuracy//All right then, use three readers.
-- Voice, Jan 20 2024


If the RFID tag’s RFID is unique, why would you need to locate the tag again? If it reports, it can only report from the location it was attached to.

“Yo pilot, this is RFID Tag B34776504.56.9.33, calling from the left outboard elevon. It’s getting hot here and we have a problem.”

How much more location data do you need? If they are passive, what’s needed is an AirEye linked to that RFID that gives a visual of the problem area. Could the RFID be passive only until certain conditions are met and then activate and report? Damage, temperature, barometric reading, etc.
-- minoradjustments, Jan 20 2024


// If the RFID tag’s RFID is unique, why would you need to locate the tag again?// The idea is to perform regular polling, say once every 5 seconds, to identify their locations. If, say, there's a tail strike and some of the tail scraped off onto the runway those bits will no longer be reporting in. Or if the rudder moves left those bits will report in left of where they used to be.

//Could the RFID be passive only until certain conditions are met and then activate and report?//RFID tags are extremely simple little bits of antenna. They're not active computers. All they can do is be readable for ID and, if you have the right antenna setup, location. The RFID does not call in, it's scanned for.
-- Voice, Jan 20 2024


How close do you have to be with the scanner to get the data off the chip? How would you do it?
-- minoradjustments, Jan 20 2024


Even without location accuracy, given the limited range of rfid tags, it would at least tell you if the bit is missing.

That being said, I suspect cameras would be a better reporting tool. A camera visible grid printed on the aircraft would allows easy tracking with minimal image processing.
-- MechE, Jan 21 2024



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