G01B11/167

Sub-Surface Patterning for Diffraction-Based Strain Measurement and Damage Detection in Structures

Systems and methods for assessing strain in structural components are disclosed. Structural components may have geometric patterns of diffraction cavities within the structural component, with the diffraction cavities in the geometric pattern each having a cavity width and being spaced from each other by a cavity spacing distance. The method may include projecting beams of electromagnetic (EM) energy through the structural component to the geometric pattern of diffraction cavities to create diffracted beams of EM energy that are reflected from or transmitted through the geometric pattern of diffraction cavities and have diffracted wavelengths indicating changes in the cavity spacing distances due to strain caused when the structural component is exposed to environmental conditions, detecting the diffracted wavelength of the diffracted beams, and correlating the diffracted wavelengths of the diffracted beams to the strain in the structural components.

System and method for finding dents on an automobile using a booth
11021885 · 2021-06-01 ·

An inflatable booth for use in detecting dents on an automobile. The inflatable booth generally forms an archway or tunnel and has an exterior surface and an interior surface. Lights are mounted on the exterior surface of the booth. The exterior surface of the booth is transparent or clear at least in the areas where the lights are positioned. The interior surface has a repeating geometric pattern. To detect dents, an automobile is driven into the booth and the lights are turned on. The geometric pattern on the interior surface of the booth is reflected off the surface of the automobile forming a reflected pattern. Dents or mars in the surface of the automobile cause distortions in the reflected pattern, thus making them easy to detect and fix. The booth can be easily inflated, deflated, and transported.

Three-dimensional-shape measurement device, three-dimensional-shape measurement method, and program
10997738 · 2021-05-04 · ·

A control device acquires a plurality of observation signals observed using a plurality of projection patterns having different spatial frequencies, as observation signals for a measurement point on a measurement object. The control device repeatedly executes processing for estimating two component signals included in each observation signal, so as to separate the observation signal into two component signals, and calculate a three-dimensional position of the measurement point based on the phases of the separated component signals.

Compensation for Goos-Hanchen error in autofocus systems

Prediction of a distribution of light in an illumination pupil of an illumination system includes identifying component(s) of the illumination system the adjustment of which affects this distribution and simulating the distribution based on a point spread function defined in part by the identified components. The point spread function has functional relationship with configurable setting of the illumination settings.

Method of measuring localized strains in sheet metal stampings
10907957 · 2021-02-02 · ·

A method for measuring localized stretching of a manufactured part or in a test sample of various materials to identify the fracture strain or strain distribution. The method begins by etching or printing a grid of a plurality of cells on a surface of a blank. Dots of paint are then applied to the surface of the blank that are measured in a pre-forming condition and identified as to the location of the dots relative to the grid. The blank is then formed into a formed part and the dots are measured in one or more cells in a post-forming condition. The size of the dots in the pre-forming condition is compared to the size of the dots in the post-forming condition to determine the extent of stretching in localized areas of the formed part. The method may be repeated for successive operations with different colored dots.

Structured light sensing assembly

A structured light emitting module includes a light source and a diffractive optical component. The light source generates laser light. The diffractive optical component is arranged on an optical path of the laser light emitted by the light source for diffracting the laser light. There is no lens arranged on an optical path of the laser light emitted by the light source.

Apparatus and method for measuring warpage

An apparatus includes: a first image capture module, a second image capture module, and a first projector. The first image capture module has a first optical axis forming an angle from approximately 70 to approximately 87 with respect to the surface of a carrier. The second image capture module has a first optical axis forming an angle of approximately 90 with respect to the surface of the carrier. The first projector has a first optical axis forming an angle from approximately 40 to approximately 85 with respect to the surface of the carrier.

Multiscale deformation measurements leveraging tailorable and multispectral speckle patterns

Remote measurements using images are particularly useful in structural health monitoring cases in which the installation of contact sensors is difficult. Some limitations, though, associated with photogrammetry-type optical metrology involve the application of speckle patterns, which become even more important with variable working distance or when the required resolution and sensitivity are not a priori known. In this context, multispectral sensing combined with tailored speckle patterns can circumvent some of the challenges of acquiring data at different working distances. The present invention uses multispectral imaging combined controlled generation of speckle patterns to demonstrate an approach for remote sensing related to deformation measurements at the structural level. To demonstrate this approach, two speckle patterns were designed for measurements at specified working distances. The results show that the spectral specific reflectivity of the speckle patterns allow for spatial overlay without affecting imaging within either spectral range considered, which results in the extraction of multiscale deformation measurements.

Overhead conveying system and method for determining the thickness of a hanging bag
11866254 · 2024-01-09 · ·

The invention relates to an overhead conveyor system (1a . . . 1d) with hanging bags (2, 2a . . . 2d), which are adjustable between a transport position and a loading position and which are designed for transporting articles (4, 4a . . . 4i), with a loading station (5a . . . 5d), at which a hanging bag (2, 2a . . . 2d) can be loaded with an article (4, 4a . . . 4i), and with an overhead conveying device (6, 6a . . . 6d) for transporting a hanging bag (2, 2a . . . 2d) into the loading station (5a . . . 5d) and for transporting the hanging bag (2, 2a . . . 2d) out of the loading station (5a . . . 5d). The overhead conveyor system (1a . . . 1d) further comprises a measuring device (11a . . . 11d), by means of which an expansion (a) of the bag body (3) in a transport direction of the loaded hanging bag (2, 2a . . . 2d) is determined in the transport position of the bag body (3). Moreover, the invention relates to a method for operating such an overhead conveyor system (1a . . . 1d).

CHARACTERIZATION OF SPECULAR SURFACES
20200320724 · 2020-10-08 ·

The present subject matter at-least provides a system for measurement of topography of specular surfaces. The system comprises a set of indexed light-sources and a controller configured to drive the set of light-sources for irradiating a specular-surface by sequentially illuminating a plurality of sub-sets of the light-sources in accordance with a pre-defined encoding criteria. Further, at least one camera is provided to capture reflected light-radiation from the specular-surface and thereby generate a plurality of images in accordance with the sequential-illumination, such that each of the generated-image corresponds to a particular sub-set of illuminated light sources. Further, a processing system is configured to process each generated image in accordance with an image-processing criteria specific to the encoding-criteria to determine one or more index of light-sources and thereby identify the light-sources within the images; and determine topography of the specular-surface at-least based on calculation of spatial-coordinates and the determined identity of each light-source.