Safran and ATR develop machine learning 'Smart Lander' to analyze hard landings

TOULOUSE, France - Safran Landing Systems, a provider of aircraft landing and braking systems based in France, and ATR, a French regional aircraft manufacturer have developed ‘Smart Lander’, a landing gear diagnostics service that uses knowledge in data analysis to optimize the manufacturer's response times in the event of hard landings, and enable aircraft to be quickly returned to service.

This service is based on machine learning technology. Based on hundreds of thousands of hard landing simulations, Smart Lander issues recommendations to operators on the maintenance actions to be taken according to the hardness of the landing and to the load level sustained by the landing gear. Aircraft can subsequently be permitted to continue their commercial operations or alternatively, be sent to a maintenance base. This process takes less than an hour, compared to over a week previously.

By reducing the response times required for returning the aircraft to service after a hard landing, Smart Lander will offer le advantages to both ATR and its customers in terms of man-hours, aircraft availability and customer satisfaction.