Cooperative behavior algorithms utilizing swarm intelligence are being developed for mobile sensor platforms to inspect jet engines on-wing. Experiments are planned in which several relatively simple autonomous platforms will work together in a coordinated fashion to carry out complex maintenance-type tasks within the constrained working environment modeled on the interior of a turbofan engine....

Kalman filters are largely used in the jet engine community for condition monitoring purpose. This algorithm gives a good estimate of the engine condition provided that the residuals between the model prediction and the measurements are zero-mean, Gaussian random variables. In the case of sensor faults, this assumption does not hold anymore and consequently the diagnosis is spoiled. This contri...