GE Aerospace, Waygate unveil AI-enhanced borescope for engine inspection

GE Aerospace, in partnership with Waygate Technologies (Waygate), a Baker Hughes business, has launched a new AI-assisted borescope solution for commercial aviation engines. This breakthrough tool, soon to be available to Waygate customers and GE’s MRO network, marks the first achievement under the companies’ Joint Technology Development Agreement announced in May 2023.

Focusing on AI-driven Assisted Defect Recognition (ADR) technology, the tool is designed to improve the speed and accuracy of High Pressure Compressor (HPC) inspections—a critical and labour-intensive part of engine Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO). Nicole Jenkins, GE Aerospace’s Chief MRO Engineer, highlighted the benefits, noting, “At GE Aerospace, we increasingly are seeing the value AI technologies are bringing to help improve the speed, accuracy, and reliability of commercial jet engine inspections.”

The AI-assisted borescope will be integrated into MRO procedures for GE’s GEnx and CFM LEAP engines. Jenkins added that this innovation forms part of a larger strategy to empower inspection engineers with advanced tools that use AI, computer vision, and automation, enhancing productivity while meeting high customer standards. The tool is expected to significantly reduce inspection times while delivering precise defect detection.