Leonardo, Italian Air Force, Turin Polytechnic University sign agreement for a 'collaborative digital platform' capable of providing technological advanced support in 'mission critical' contexts

The platform aims to accelerate the so-called "digital transformation" of the logistic support exploiting also the progressive development and integration of artificial intelligence tools capable of continuously improving the efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance operations at the home base or in the operating theater.

From the left: Eng. Marco Zoff, Managing Director of Leonardo Aircraft Division; Professor Guido Saracco, Rector of Turin Polytechnic University and General Giovanni Fantuzzi, Logistics Commander of the Italian Air Force.

April 13, 2021 - The Leonardo Aircraft Division, the Italian Air Force and the Turin Polytechnic University today signed an agreement to develop a "collaborative digital platform" capable of providing users with state of the arts digital tools to facilitate operational activities on the field. They will make available in a simple and efficient way a large amount of technical content in digital format, also through virtual/augmented reality and on-demand tools.

The platform aims to accelerate the so-called "digital transformation" of the logistic support exploiting also the progressive development and integration of artificial intelligence tools capable of continuously improving the efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance operations at the home base or in the operating theater.

Maintenance operations and processes of modern aircraft require high-level technical knowledge and the ability to operate in highly integrated environments, thus it becomes essential to adapt the technological tools and infrastructures to provide the required knowledge contents to the operators on the field; the platform will ensure user access in any location in the world through connection from both pocket or wearable digital devices, favoring the "web oriented" solution.

Leonardo Aircraft Division will take care of the architecture, the definition of standards and coordinate the project partners; the Italian Air Force will play the role of "end user" by defining the use cases in the training and operational scenarios and providing the necessary support for the testing and validation of the system and the Turin Polytechnic University will offer research skills and access to innovative technologies.

The project also envisages the involvement of one or more small and medium-sized companies that have skills in both the aeronautical and IT fields.

Written by Matteo Sanzani