Digitalization of Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing Using Augmented Reality: An Expert Evaluation

Current ultrasonic testing processes for aircraft inspection remain largely manual and non-digitalized. Among the most promising innovations for effective digitalization is the use of Augmented Reality, aligning with NDE 4.0 trends. Despite initial developments, advantages are merely theoretical, as research exploring real-world usage by domain experts remains scarce. Against this backdrop, this paper presents two consecutive, qualitative studies where NDT experts explored and evaluated a prototype system developed in prior works. The studies were designed to elicit early, indicative insights and actively involve practitioners in the development process. In the second study, inspectors used both the conventional and the new system to reflect on their experiences and assess how these shaped their performance. Despite the early stage of the Augmented Reality system, expert feedback and comparative evaluation were positive and encouraging. Reported advantages included increased speed, ease of use, improved focus, and enhanced documentation. With optimization areas identified, the system, once matured, may substantially outperform traditional methods. This research contributes to NDE 4.0 by clarifying user-centered requirements and reinforcing the importance of practitioner engagement during the digital transformation of inspection workflows. • First comparative, exploratory study of Augmented Reality assistance in UT. • Improved time efficiency with the AR system, similar capabilities to find defects. • Further optimizations are expected to increase overall performance. • Experts say AR enhances documentation, focus, usability and hand–eye coordination. • Key areas for refinement and future optimization were identified.