VD Gulf will implement a mixed reality (MR) solution for aircraft inspections following a successful pilot project in Dubai in late 2020. The independent MRO will now use the MR system from Hungarian startup AerinX to simplify aircraft interior inspections at its facilities at Sharjah International Airport.

According to AerinX, its MR software can reduce the time it takes to manually inspect an aircraft’s surface from up to two hours to around 20 minutes. “Based on our calculations, the use of our software can save 400 days of hangar capacity, 9,500 engineering hours and gain $4 million extra profit on average for a company with 10 narrowbody hangar bays capacity,” says Bence Kiss, co-founder and CEO, AerinX.

The system projects aircraft structural and damage information—such as frames, stringers and previous damage—on the skin of an aircraft and on 3D data panels using stereoscopic 3D smart glasses (AerinX is currently using the Microsoft HoloLens 2). According to AerinX, the system automatically registers newly discovered damage and determines its exact location, then facilitates damage assessment with a preloaded manufacturer structure repair manual database.

AerinX is also partnered with Aeroplex of Central Europe, which is testing the system for heavy and line maintenance processes. It is currently preparing to fully integrate the system into Aeroplex’s daily operations.

AerinX is talking with other international companies and expects the technology to be implemented at what it says are major market players in Europe, Hong Kong and the U.S. According to Bence, AerinX hopes to have the system implemented at about half a dozen international partners by the end of 2021.

The startup is also preparing for another funding round in the coming months with an international strategic investor, which it says will accelerate its global market penetration. In 2020 it received €2 million ($2.3 million) in Pre-Series A round funding from Takarek Venture Capital Fund.