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Why do engineers want to cover aircraft with “human-like skin?”

Answer: to sense damage

British defense contractor BAE Systems is developing a technology that involves tens of thousands of micro-sensors that could help aircraft sense damage. The devices, which could measure wind speed, temperature, strain and movement, could be as small as dust particles and sprayed onto the surface of an aircraft like paint, according to the company. The sensors, which include their own power source, could help in the detection of hairline cracks, making the technology useful in other applications, such as dams, bridges, water pipes or road vehicles.