You’re about to head home from a business trip just in time for your kid’s birthday party. They are so excited to be turning 5, they can barely stand it.

You board the plane, just as the airlines announces that there is going to be a delay because they need to inspect the plane. You’re frustrated, but hopeful that the inspection will move quickly. Your hope, however is in vain. This inspection involves people climbing over every inch of the plane to make sure that it’s ok, which takes hours.

In the near future, such a scenario may likely be a thing of the past. The airline Airbus has created an alternative that accelerates such inspections to mere minutes.

Their secret?

Drones equipped with HD cameras, which fly around the plane in a fixed path. The camera visually inspects every inch of the plane, and the data is collected into a 3-D model of the plane, which a computer can then analyze.

The computer-conducted review looks for — and reports on — scratches, dents and other damage that is so minute, traditional inspections might not even catch them. This provides an assurance that when you’re flying, you’re safe.

This isn’t only faster for travelers, it’s also safer for inspectors. Instead of being lifted in dangerous equipment or physically getting on top of the plane (not to mention often having to do so in stormy weather), they simply monitor the drone.

With this technology being implemented in the near future, you can rest assured you will arrive to your 5-year-old’s birthday party safely…and on time!

Eric Cawley is an occasional blogger for Gary Stringham & Associates. Gary provides consulting and expert witness services in embedded systems such as robotics. Feel free to contact Gary at 208-939-6984.