Systems and methods for automated MIMO force-response characterization of a device/structure-under-test. A SIMO exciter router is operated to selectively couple an excitation signal input to an exciter device while the sensor data indicative of a sensed response to the imparted excitation force is collected from a plurality of response sensors. The SIMO exciter router operates to collect sensor data for each of a plurality of different exciter-sensor combinations (i.e., sensor data is collected from each individual response sensor while the excitation force is applied by each individual exciter device). The sensor data is collected by a data acquisition system with a plurality of signal input channels each coupled to a different response sensor or a sensor router is used to selectively couple each individual sensor output to a shared signal input channel of the data acquisition system.

Described herein is a method of detecting anomalies on a surface of a structure. The method may comprise taking a thermal image of the surface of the structure. The method may further comprise taking a visual image of the surface of the structure. The method may then comprise conducting a thermal image numerical analysis on the thermal image. The thermal image numerical analysis may comprise obtaining a thermal image numerical value table. The thermal image numerical analysis may then comprise obtaining a surface nominal thermal value of the surface material. The thermal image numerical analysis may then comprise eliminating a first subset of pixels having a thermal value within a nominal thermal variation from the plurality of pixels. The thermal image numerical analysis may then comprise comparing the thermal value of each pixel of the plurality of pixels not in the first subset of pixels to the surface nominal thermal value to identify at least one anomaly. The thermal image numerical analysis method may then comprise removing a first number (n.sub.1) of first anomalies from the thermal image numerical analysis. Finally, the method may comprise comparing the first anomalies from the thermal image numerical analysis to the visual image.

A method for detecting an object describable by a plurality of predetermined features comprises flying along the object and detecting several portions of the object using at least one recording unit. Each of the portions is detected multiple times from different positions of the recording unit to generate a set of images. Position and location information of the recording unit are associated to each image. Additionally, the method has recognizing features in the image sets and determining the positions and/or locations of the features using the position and location information of the images which contain the features.

An optical monitoring device for monitoring curvature along a flexible medical instrument including optical fibers, a light source to inject light into the optical fibers, a light receiver configured to measure an optical characteristic of reflected light from the optical fibers, a processor to analyze the measured optical characteristic to determine a curvature of the optical fibers, compare the curvature with a threshold curvature, determine a location along the optical fibers of the determined curvature, store previous curvatures and their associated location along the fibers in a storage, analyze the stored curvatures by counting or summing curvatures determined at a given location over time to predict breakdown of the flexible medical instrument, and produce an indication when the stored curvatures determined at the given location over time predict breakdown of the flexible medical instrument at the given location.

The invention relates to a device, to a system, and to a method for detecting an offset between two joined, in particular pressure joined components during operation of said components and to the use of an RFID transponder for detecting an offset between two joined, in particular pressure joined components during operation of said components. In respect of the device, there is a first element, provided for attaching to one of the components, and a second element, provided for attaching to the other of the components, wherein the first and second element are coupled and/or can be coupled to each other across a joint of the components such that an offset influences the coupling, wherein the device furthermore has a transmission unit, which is designed to transmit a state and/or a dimension of the coupling without contact.

A modular pavement slab comprises a body, a strain sensor array, and a sensor processor. The body includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and four side surfaces. The modular pavement slab is configured to be coupled to at least one other modular pavement slab via connectors along at least one of the side surfaces. The strain sensor array is retained within the body and is configured to detect a plurality of strains on the body resulting from vehicular traffic across the top surface of the body. The sensor processor is in communication with the strain sensor array. The sensor processor is configured to communicate input signals to the strain sensor array, receive output signals from the strain sensor array, and determine a plurality of time-varying strain values, each strain value indicating a strain experienced over time by a successive one of a plurality of regions of the body.

A defect detection apparatus is provided that can inspect a measurement region of a target object at one time and without inconsistencies arising within the measurement region. A defect detection apparatus 10 includes: a generation unit (signal generator 11 and vibrator 12) for generating an elastic wave in a target object S; an illumination unit (pulsed laser light source 13 and illumination light lens 14) for performing stroboscopic illumination onto a measurement region of a surface of the target object S; and a displacement measurement unit (speckle shearing interferometer 15) for collectively measuring displacements in a normal direction at each point of the measurement region with respect to at least three mutually-different phases of the elastic wave by controlling a phase of the elastic wave and a timing of the stroboscopic illumination. Defects in the measurement region are detected based on the displacements in the normal direction at each point of the measurement region with respect to at least three phases that are obtained by the displacement measurement unit.

Systems and methods of the present disclosure include at least one building component detection sensor device configured to be deployed within (or proximate to) a building comprised of a plurality of building components. The at least one building component detection sensor device is configured to detect data relating to at least one building component of the plurality of building components. In addition, a building component property determination system includes a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory to determine one or more properties of the at least one building component based at least in part on the data detected by the at least one building component detection sensor device.

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for monitoring the structural health of components. In an aspect is provided a system for monitoring structural health of a component that includes a mechanotropic elastomeric (ME) layer at least partially disposed on a surface of the component, the ME layer having a first portion corresponding to a first end of the component and a second portion corresponding to a second end of the component; a fiber optic light guide coupled to the first end; and a detector coupled to the second end. In another aspect is provided a method that includes pulsing an electromagnetic energy source coupled to a system comprising a ME layer; and detecting a wavelength or wavelength range by a detector, the detected wavelength or wavelength range being responsive to an amount of stimulus and being indicative of a deformation in a component.

A system includes an electromagnetic inspection device, a processing device, and a memory device. The electromagnetic inspection device includes at least one transmitter that can transmit an electromagnetic signal toward a wall of a flexible pipe. The electromagnetic inspection device also includes at least one receiver that can receive at least one scattered electromagnetic signal from the wall of the flexible pipe. The memory device includes instructions executable by the processing device to cause the processing device to transmit an electromagnetic signal using the transmitter, to receive the scattered electromagnetic signal using the receiver, and to identify at least one anomaly in the wall of the flexible pipe using the scattered electromagnetic signal.