Abstract: A wing airframe for a wing of a tiltrotor aircraft includes a wing airframe core assembly and a wing skin assembly disposed on the wing airframe core assembly. The wing skin assembly includes a lower wing skin assembly disposed on the bottom side of the wing airframe core assembly. The tiltrotor aircraft includes a fuselage underneath the wing. The lower wing skin assembly has one or more buckle zones outboard of the fuselage. The buckle zones are locally susceptible to buckling in response to an impact of the tiltrotor aircraft, thereby protecting the fuselage from being crushed by the wing.

Abstract: The impact angle of a small caliber projectile is determined by accurately measuring the orientation angle of the projectile in flight and modeling epicyclical flight of the projectile. To measure the orientation angle, a projectile is fired along a trajectory within a test gantry. One or more sets of cameras captures images of the projectile in flight. The images are processed using computer vision to measure the position and orientation angle at each station. Calibration of the test equipment prior to the test firing of the projectile, allows for determination of these points in the 3d space of the test fixture. Aeroballistic models are fit to the orientation history. From these models, an impact angle is extrapolated.

Abstract: A propulsion and lift system of a tiltrotor aircraft includes a wing having an outboard end, a wing tip assembly having an inboard end, a fixed nacelle coupled to the wing tip assembly and a wing-nacelle splice assembly having inboard and outboard sides. The inboard side of the wing-nacelle splice assembly is coupled to the outboard end of the wing, and the outboard side of the wing-nacelle splice assembly is coupled to the inboard end of the wing tip assembly, thereby coupling the fixed nacelle to the wing.

Abstract: An adhesive joint for an aircraft includes a first aircraft component having a first surface forming one or more isolation grooves, a second aircraft component having a second surface and an adhesive forming a bondline between the first and second surfaces to bond the first aircraft component to the second aircraft component. The adhesive substantially fills the one or more isolation grooves to form at least one disbond arrest boundary. The at least one disbond arrest boundary is operable to prevent a disbond in the bondline from traversing therethrough, thereby preventing the disbond from propagating along the bondline across the at least one disbond arrest boundary.

Abstract: A tiltrotor aircraft includes a propulsion system with a fixed engine and a rotatable proprotor. The engine is located below the wing of the tiltrotor aircraft, and the rotatable proprotor assembly is mounted on the top surface of the wing. The engine and proprotor assembly are connected via a series of one or more gearboxes that route the engine output from the engine to the proprotor.

Abstract: A tiltrotor aircraft includes a propulsion system with a fixed engine and a rotatable proprotor. The engine is located on the top surface of the wing of the tiltrotor aircraft, and the rotatable proprotor assembly is also mounted on the top surface of the wing. The engine and proprotor assembly are connected via a series of one or more gearboxes that route the engine output from the engine to the proprotor.

Abstract: An airframe assembly for an aircraft includes a first airframe member having first and second skins with a large cell core and a solid insert joined therebetween. The solid insert has a side surface at least a portion of which is adjacent to the large cell core. The first airframe member has a first set of openings extending through the first skin, the solid insert and the second skin. The airframe assembly also includes a second airframe member having a second set of openings operable to be aligned with the first set of openings of the first airframe member. Each of a plurality of fasteners extends through one of the openings of the first set of openings and one of the openings of the second set of openings securably coupling the first airframe member to the second airframe member.

Abstract: An airframe assembly for an aircraft. The airframe assembly includes a first airframe member having a first skin, a second skin, a large cell core joined between the first and second skins and a solid insert having a side surface. The solid insert is joined between the first and second skins such that at least a portion of the side surface is adjacent to the large cell core. The first skin has a first surface disposed opposite the solid insert. The airframe assembly also includes a second airframe member having a second surface. An adhesive joint is disposed between the first and second surfaces structurally bonding the first airframe member to the second airframe member such that the second airframe member is positioned opposite the solid insert.

Abstract: System and method for tracking and control in medical procedures. The system including a device that deploys fluorescent material on at least one of an organ under surgery and a surgical tool, a visual light source, a fluorescent light source corresponding to an excitation wavelength of the fluorescent material, an image acquisition and control element that controls the visual light source and the fluorescent light source, and captures and digitizes at least one of resulting visual images and fluorescent images, and an image-based, tracking module that applies image processing to the visual and fluorescent images, the image processing detecting fluorescent markers on at least one of the organ and the surgical tool.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method and system for performing robot-assisted surgical procedures. The system includes a robotic arm system assembly, an end effector assembly, and a hybrid control mechanism for robotic surgery. The robotic arm is a lightweight, bedside robot with a large range of motion, which can be easily manipulated to position endoscope and surgical instruments. The control console is mounted at the distal end of the robotic arm to enable robotic arm to follow operators arm movement, provide physical support, filter out hand tremor, and constrain motion. A universal adapter is also described as an interface to connect traditional laparoscopic tools to the robotic arm.

Abstract: An inlet barrier filter system for a tiltrotor aircraft comprising a filter duct extending from a filter to a filter outlet, a ram air duct extending from a ram air inlet to an engine where the filter duct connects to the ram air duct at the filter outlet, and a closure member movable between a first position blocking the ram air duct and a second position blocking the filter outlet. In use, the inlet barrier filter system provides for two mutually exclusive air flow paths, one for introducing ram air to the engine while closing off the filter and another air flow path for introducing filtered air to the engine while closing off the ram air duct.

Abstract: A fuel system for an aircraft includes a fuel cell having a plurality of sides including a first side and at least one deformable clip having a secured end and a free end. The secured end is coupled to the first side of the fuel cell and the free end overlapping the airframe of the aircraft such that the first side of the fuel cell is positioned adjacent to the airframe. The at least one deformable clip is deformable to allow the fuel cell to move independently of the airframe in response to an impact of the aircraft, thereby protecting the fuel cell from damage resulting from the impact.

Abstract: A torque box rib includes an upper rib cap configured to be coupled to an upper skin of a wing, a lower rib cap configured to be coupled to a lower skin of the wing, a forward post configured to be coupled to a forward spar of the wing, an aft post configured to be coupled to an aft spar of the wing, and a rib web configured to be coupled to the upper rib cap, the lower rib cap, the forward post, and the aft post.

Abstract: A propulsion and lift system of a tiltrotor aircraft includes a wing having an outboard end, a wing tip assembly having an inboard end, a fixed nacelle coupled to the wing tip assembly and a wing-nacelle splice assembly having inboard and outboard sides. The inboard side of the wing-nacelle splice assembly is coupled to the outboard end of the wing, and the outboard side of the wing-nacelle splice assembly is coupled to the inboard end of the wing tip assembly, thereby coupling the fixed nacelle to the wing.

Abstract: A wing airframe for a wing of a tiltrotor aircraft includes a wing airframe core assembly and a wing skin assembly disposed on the wing airframe core assembly. The wing skin assembly includes a lower wing skin assembly disposed on the bottom side of the wing airframe core assembly. The tiltrotor aircraft includes a fuselage underneath the wing. The lower wing skin assembly has one or more buckle zones outboard of the fuselage. The buckle zones are locally susceptible to buckling in response to an impact of the tiltrotor aircraft, thereby protecting the fuselage from being crushed by the wing.

Abstract: Methods may be provided to operate an image-guided surgical system using imaging information for a 3-dimensional anatomical volume. A pose of a probe that defines a longitudinal axis may be detected based on information received from a tracking system. A placement of a virtual implant for the 3-dimensional anatomical volume may be determined based on the pose of the probe and based on an offset from an end of the probe along the longitudinal axis, such that a trajectory of the virtual implant is in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the probe in the pose. After determining the placement of the virtual implant, the virtual implant may be adjusted in response to movement of the probe while maintaining the trajectory of the virtual implant.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to quantify the geometric change of a projectile during ballistic flight using a camera/tracker video system. Image processing tools are used to segment the shape of the projectile in each frame of a launch video, which allows the length to be calculated with sub-pixel accuracy. Subsequent automated analysis uses a baseline length history of a constant length projectile to correct for variations in measured length due to system layout and camera location.

Abstract: A fuel system for an aircraft includes a fuel cell having a plurality of sides including a first side and at least one deformable clip having a secured end and a free end. The secured end is coupled to the first side of the fuel cell and the free end overlapping the airframe of the aircraft such that the first side of the fuel cell is positioned adjacent to the airframe. The at least one deformable clip is deformable to allow the fuel cell to move independently of the airframe in response to an impact of the aircraft, thereby protecting the fuel cell from damage resulting from the impact.

Abstract: A system and method for corrected imaging including an optical camera that captures at least one optical image of an area of interest, a depth sensor that captures at least one depth map of the area of interest, and circuitry that correlates depth information of the at least one depth map to the at least one optical image to generate a depth image, corrects the at least one optical image by applying a model to address alteration in the respective at least one optical image, the model using information from the depth image, and outputs the corrected at least one optical image for display in 2D and/or as a 3D surface.

Abstract: An adhesive joint for an aircraft includes a first aircraft component having a first surface forming one or more isolation grooves, a second aircraft component having a second surface and an adhesive forming a bondline between the first and second surfaces to bond the first aircraft component to the second aircraft component. The adhesive substantially fills the one or more isolation grooves to form at least one disbond arrest boundary. The at least one disbond arrest boundary is operable to prevent a disbond in the bondline from traversing therethrough, thereby preventing the disbond from propagating along the bondline across the at least one disbond arrest boundary.