Haptics, Instrumentation, and Simulation: Technologies for Enhanced Hand Drilling Training

A fundamental part of airplane manufacturing involves hand drilling of holes for fasteners (bolts and rivets). The integrity of a fastener depends on the quality of its hole, which must be properly positioned, have a circular diameter of correct dimension, and be free of surface flaws and contaminants. A common method of drilling training is for a student to drill holes under the supervision of an instructor who inspects or measures the holes and makes suggestions for improving technique. This training method has proven to be effective, but it is time-consuming and requires considerable personal attention. We have devised instrumentation to monitor critical parameters (drill orientation and forces) so that a student can receive instantaneous visual feedback. This real-time feedback provides the student a better understanding of the drilling process and allows him or her to quickly make improvements. We have also developed a simulation of the drilling process that includes three-dimensional (3D) visualization and haptics force feedback. We propose to couple the instrumented drill training aid and the haptics simulation with traditional training methods to achieve faster learning, more complete understanding, and a higher skill level.