Design of a Pitot Tube Cover with Smart Motion Detection Using Arduino and a Waterproof Ultrasonic Sensor for the Piper Seneca Aircraft
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55299/ijoss.v2i2.34Keywords:
Pitot tube cover, Motion detection, Fight safety, Arduino uno, Ultrasonic sensorAbstract
The research addressed the persistent issue of flight safety risk posed by failure to remove pitot tube covers during pre-flight checks on small aircraft, specifically the Piper Seneca V. An innovative solution was devised using a smart pitot tube cover integrated with a motion detection system based on waterproof ultrasonic sensors and an Arduino Uno microcontroller. The cover was designed to trigger a buzzer alarm automatically when movement was detected near the pitot tube and the cover remained installed. The development process involved both qualitative and quantitative approaches by incident interviews with pilots and instructors, design and assembly of hardware components, and field-experimentation on operational aircraft. The system underwent rigorous laboratory and real-world testing over a period of six months, covering various weather conditions and operational scenarios. Results demonstrated that the system reliably detected human presence within a 1–3 meter range, maintained a low error rate (average 4.2%), and produced an alarm response in under 310 milliseconds. In all test cases, the active system led to prompt inspection and removal of the pitot tube cover, thereby significantly reducing the risk of oversight. The final product exhibited robust performance, energy efficiency, and environmental resilience due to the use of waterproof materials and optimised component integration. It was concluded that the smart cover system enhances operational safety and awareness, offering a pragmatic preventive tool for the aviation training sector.
Downloads
References
Beringer, D. B., & Fercho, K. A. (2020). The Use Of Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (Efvs) For Low-Visibility Takeoffs: Equivalence For Level Of Safety. Https://Doi.Org/10.21949/1503647
Chen, Q., Zhang, L., Zhou, C., Liu, Z., & Lyu, Y. (2024). Numerical Simulation Study On Predicting The Critical Icing Conditions Of Aircraft Pitot Tubes. Sensors 2024, Vol. 24, Page 7410, 24(22), 7410. Https://Doi.Org/10.3390/S24227410
Ercan, S. Ü., & Mohammed, M. S. (2020). Distance Measurement And Object Detection System Based On Ultrasonic Sensor And Xbee. Duzce University Journal Of Science And Technology, 8(2), 1706–1719. Https://Doi.Org/10.29130/Dubited.634256
Gratton, G. (2015). The Pitot-Static System. Initial Airworthiness, 33–67. Https://Doi.Org/10.1007/978-3-319-11409-5_3
Kaur, M., Van Eeten, M., Janssen, M., Borgolte, K., & Fiebig Mkaur, T. (2021). Human Factors In Security Research: Lessons Learned From 2008-2018. Https://Arxiv.Org/Pdf/2103.13287
Kumar, A., & Manshahia, M. (2025). The Rise Of Sustainable Approaches In Development Of Waterproof Breathable Fabrics For Garment: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal Of Clothing Science And Technology, 37(4), 631–641. Https://Doi.Org/10.1108/Ijcst-01-2024-0015
Kusmirek, S., Socha, V., Urban, D., Hanakova, L., Kripsky, F., Walton, R., & Pecho, P. (2024). Design Of Pitot-Static Tube Shapes And Their Influence On Airspeed Measurement Accuracy. Journal Of Aerospace Engineering, 37(4), 04024045. Https://Doi.Org/10.1061/Jaeeez.Aseng-5578;Website:Website:Asce-Site
Mukhopadhyay, A., & Midha, V. K. (2016). Waterproof Breathable Fabrics. Handbook Of Technical Textiles: Technical Textile Applications, 27–55. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/B978-1-78242-465-9.00002-1
Mukhopadhyay, A., & Vinay Kumar, M. (2008). A Review On Designing The Waterproof Breathable Fabrics Part Ii: Construction And Suitability Of Breathable Fabrics For Different Uses. Journal Of Industrial Textiles, 38(1), 17–41. Https://Doi.Org/10.1177/1528083707082166;Page:String:Article/Chapter
Park, J., Je, Y., Lee, H., & Moon, W. (2010). Design Of An Ultrasonic Sensor For Measuring Distance And Detecting Obstacles. Ultrasonics, 50(3), 340–346. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Ultras.2009.10.013
Putra, D. E., Wibowo, U. L. N., Kuncoro, W., & Anam, M. K. (2023). Design Pitot Tube Cover With Artificial Intelligence (Arduino) Based Warning System On Piper Seneca V Aircraft. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Ipa, 9(12), 11137–11144. Https://Doi.Org/10.29303/Jppipa.V9i12.5614
Reason, J. (2000). Human Error: Models And Management. Bmj, 320(7237), 768–770. Https://Doi.Org/10.1136/Bmj.320.7237.768
Sato, T., Nakamura, S., Terabayashi, K., Sugimoto, M., & Hashizume, H. (2011). Design And Implementation Of A Robust And Real-Time Ultrasonic Motion-Capture System. 2011 International Conference On Indoor Positioning And Indoor Navigation, Ipin 2011. Https://Doi.Org/10.1109/Ipin.2011.6071907
Widodo, D. W., Noorwahyu, A., Widagdo, R. A., Penerbangan, P., & Curug, I. (2024). Analisis Risiko Dalam Operasi Pesawat Latih Di Sekolah Pilot. Akselerasi: Jurnal Ilmiah Nasional, 6(2), 18–26. Https://Doi.Org/10.54783/Jin.V6i2.921
Zungeru, A. M. (2013). Design And Development Of An Ultrasonic Motion Detector. International Journal Of Security, Privacy And Trust Management, 2(1), 1–13. Https://Doi.Org/10.5121/Ijsptm.2013.2101
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Untung L.N. Wibowo, Rizky Oscera E., Dimas Endrawan Putra, Wisnu Kuncoro
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
1. Licensing Overview
All articles published in the International Journal of Natural Science Studies and Development (IJOSS) are distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons license. This ensures that authors retain copyright while allowing others to copy, distribute, and make use of the work under certain conditions.
2. Creative Commons License
IJOSS articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Under this license, you are free to:
- Share: Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
- Adapt: Remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
3. Conditions of Use
When using the content published in IJOSS under the CC BY 4.0 license, the following conditions must be met:
-
Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
-
No Additional Restrictions: You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
4. Author Rights
-
Copyright Retention: Authors retain the copyright to their work. However, by submitting their work to IJOSS, they grant the journal the right to publish and distribute their work under the CC BY 4.0 license.
-
Right to Reuse: Authors are free to reuse their work, including posting it on personal or institutional websites, or in any other repositories, provided they acknowledge its initial publication in IJOSS.
5. Third-Party Content
If the article contains third-party content (e.g., images, tables, figures) that is not covered by the CC BY 4.0 license, the author must obtain permission for its use and clearly identify this content as such in the article. Any third-party content will be subject to its original licensing terms and may not be used under the CC BY 4.0 license without appropriate permissions.
6. Compliance and Enforcement
-
License Compliance: Users of IJOSS content must comply with the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license. Any breach of these terms may result in legal action to protect the rights of the authors and the integrity of the journal.
-
License Enforcement: IJOSS reserves the right to take action against any misuse or misrepresentation of the licensed content that does not comply with the CC BY 4.0 license.
7. Changes to License Terms
IJOSS reserves the right to modify the license terms at any time. Any changes will be communicated clearly to the authors and readers. However, works already published will remain under the terms of the license in place at the time of their publication.
8. Contact Information
For any questions regarding the license terms, or if you need clarification on how to use the content under the CC BY 4.0 license, please contact the editorial board at [ijoss@ipi-limited.com].