AVATAR
DIGITAL TWIN FOR TRANSFORMATIVE AIR VEHICLE WITH IOT SENSORS TOWARDS SAFER SKIES
The overall objective of AVATAR is to create a Digital Twin (DT) by continuously monitoring the operation of transformative air vehicles (TAV) through an innovative smart IoT sensing skin, informed by accurate physical models and advanced analytics, resulting in reduced direct operative costs, extended service life and safer skies.
DISCOVER
Contributes Towards Air mobility
Evektor
Evektor
Nordic Wing
Evektor
01 / SUSTAINABLE
AVATAR’s digital twin platform which acts in parallel to the real structure and provides will mirrors the service life of the air vehicle based on real data gathered form a novel IoT sensing skin, to optimise maintenance and operation, increase safety and extend service life.
02 / EFFECTIVE
AVATAR’s real-time data and forward-looking analysis will realize effective load monitoring and fault diagnosis.
Furthermore, by integrating IoT, big data and machine learning (ML), the structures future state will be predicted, and its operation optimised.
03 / SECURE
AVATAR will contribute to significantly prolonging the service life of safe life components due to its advanced diagnostics resulting in much less uncertainty than currently feasible and hence extending the safe life of the structure at no additional cost.
Learn more about AVATAR
Introducing AVATAR Project
AVATAR Project Results: From Smart Sensors to Aircraft Digital Twins
The AVATAR project has demonstrated how advanced sensing technologies, structural simulation and artificial intelligence can be combined into an integrated Digital Twin framework for monitoring aircraft structural integrity and supporting predictive maintenance. Developed and validated through laboratory experiments, structural component tests and aircraft flight campaigns, the solution reached Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4–5 across its principal technological components.
TRL4-5
Final technology maturity levels achieved
3
Aircraft demonstrator platforms deployed
135 FHs
Total flight hours of data from RTC SportSar and Cobra aircrafts
1. Lightweight, multifunctional sensing technology
AVATAR developed a modular sensing system integrating strain gauges, temperature sensors, accelerometers and piezoelectric (PZT) transducers with miniaturised data acquisition electronics. The solution supports both continuous monitoring of structural loads and detection of potential damage.
The sensing technologies were tested on both metallic and composite structures and integrated into aircraft demonstrators. Printed strain gauges were investigated as a promising technology, although their stability and repeatability remained insufficient for aircraft deployment. Vibration-based energy harvesting was also demonstrated at TRL4, providing a foundation for future self-powered sensing applications.
2. Aircraft-specific structural health monitoring and remaining life assessment2. Aircraft-specific structural health monitoring and remaining life assessment
One of AVATAR's most significant achievements is the development of a Digital Twin capable of reconstructing structural loads from actual aircraft measurements and using them to assess fatigue damage and Remaining Useful Life (RUL).
By combining high-fidelity finite element models, inverse finite element methods (iFEM) and probabilistic fatigue assessment, the system moves beyond relying exclusively on predefined design load spectra. Instead, it enables structural-life assessment reflecting the individual aircraft's operational history.
The project also developed active and passive structural health monitoring methods for impact detection and damage localisation, supporting earlier identification of potential structural problems.
3. Advanced analytics and AI-supported assessment
AVATAR developed advanced analytical tools combining physics-based modelling with machine learning. These include surrogate models for efficient structural-response prediction, flight-regime classification, explainable AI methods and probabilistic RUL estimation.
The developed models help reconstruct structural behaviour from a limited number of measurements while reducing the computational demands of detailed simulations. This creates opportunities for practical application of sophisticated structural analyses in aircraft operation.
4. Integrated communication and Digital Twin platform
A complete data-processing architecture was developed, linking onboard sensors and acquisition systems with edge computing, wireless communication and AWS cloud infrastructure.
The interactive Digital Twin Dashboard brings together measured operational data, structural models and predicted remaining life, providing an accessible overview of aircraft structural condition and usage.
The system incorporates onboard processing to reduce communication bandwidth and supports the transfer of structural monitoring information into an integrated digital environment.
5. Validation on real aircraft
AVATAR demonstrated its technologies across three different aircraft platforms:
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SportStar RTC: Approximately 42 flight hours contributed to model development, followed by 10 flight hours with the complete sensing configuration for final validation.
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VUT100 Cobra: 93 flight hours provided operational data for developing and evaluating the monitoring and analytical methods.
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ASTERO UAV: Dedicated test campaigns supported the development and validation of monitoring solutions for lightweight composite unmanned aircraft.
The validation programme also included laboratory tests, wind tunnel experiments and representative structural component tests. Together, these activities demonstrated the adaptability of the AVATAR approach to different aircraft categories, structural materials and operational conditions.
6. Why do these results matter?
AVATAR has established a technological foundation for a new approach to aircraft structural integrity management: from maintenance based predominantly on predefined assumptions and schedules towards maintenance informed by actual structural usage and condition.
The potential benefits include improved structural safety, more efficient maintenance planning, better utilisation of aircraft service life and reduced operational costs. The resulting data and models may also support the design and optimisation of future aircraft.
7. Next steps towards industrial application
The project has demonstrated the feasibility of the integrated concept, but further development is necessary before routine industrial deployment. Key priorities include improving long-term sensor reliability, expanding operational validation datasets, increasing technology maturity and establishing certification pathways for data-driven structural-life assessment.
Continued collaboration with aircraft manufacturers, operators and aviation authorities, including EASA, will be important in transforming the AVATAR research results into practical aircraft monitoring and predictive-maintenance solutions.
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