NORTH EAST, MD — Cecil College engineering student Addison Groce has been named a finalist in NASA’s 2026 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition for work on an aviation maintenance technology project.
Groce is part of a team collaborating with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to develop solutions addressing aircraft maintenance challenges, including efficiency, safety and workforce shortages.
The competition’s theme, “RepAir: Advancing Aircraft Maintenance,” focuses on improving maintenance systems in response to increasingly complex aircraft technologies.
Groce serves as lead technical designer on the team, which developed a concept known as Smart Mechanic Glasses.
The system combines augmented reality, drones and sensing technology to detect structural issues beneath an aircraft’s surface during inspections.
“It’s essentially a sophisticated X-ray system, paired with augmented reality, and artificial intelligence,” Groce said.
Groce has secured a provisional patent for the concept and is working toward developing a prototype with potential applications beyond aviation, including infrastructure and automotive industries.
The team has advanced through the first phase of the competition and will present its work during the next phase at NASA Langley Research Center on May 18 and 19.
Finalists will submit a technical paper, poster and live presentation to NASA engineers and industry experts, with potential internship opportunities for top participants.
Groce, who returned to Cecil County to continue his studies, previously attended Cecil County Public Schools’ School of Technology and participated in a pre-engineering program.
He said internships in the aerospace field are a primary goal as he continues his studies and work on the project.
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