A measuring device for reflection measurements of test objects includes a transmitter for emitting radiation, a first collimation element for aligning the emitted radiation, a first focusing element for focusing emitted radiation in relation to the test object, and a receiver for detecting radiation reflected by the test object. There is a second collimation element for aligning the reflected radiation, and a second focusing element for focusing the reflected radiation in relation to the receiver. At least two of the first and second collimation elements and first and second focusing elements are separate from each other. Thus, a simple and flexible design of the measuring device is achieved, which can be adapted to the test object.

A system includes an inspection robot having an input sensor comprising a laser profiler and a plurality of wheels structured to engage a curved portion of an inspection surface, wherein the laser profiler is configured to provide laser profiler data of the inspection surface; a controller, comprising: a profiler data circuit structured to interpret the laser profiler data; determine a feature of interest is present at a location of the inspection surface in response to the laser profiler data; and wherein the feature of interest comprises a shape description of the inspection surface at the location of the feature of interest.

In an embodiment, a probe device includes a portion having a curved surface and a plurality of tiles variously coupled to the curved surface. The tiles each include a plurality of piezoelectric transducer elements and a base adjoining and supporting the plurality of piezoelectric transducer elements. The probe device further comprises curved lens portions each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of tiles, wherein for each of the tiles, the plurality of piezoelectric transducer elements of the tile are to propagate a wave toward the respective curved lens portion. In another embodiment, the probe device further comprises a sheath material surrounding the curved lens portions.

A rail flaw detector is configured for locating flaws in rails of a railroad track and for use with a vehicle travelling on the railroad track. The detector includes at least one signal applicator configured for applying ultrasonic signals to the rail and for receiving return signals; a mechanical subsystem connected to the applicator and to the vehicle and configured for maintaining the at least one signal applicator in operational position on the track. A human-machine interface is connected to the at least one signal applicator, is configured to control the detector and to monitor sensed rail condition. In one embodiment, the human-machine interface includes a schematic display of the rail being monitored and at least one touch screen control for controlling the mechanical subsystem and the at least one signal applicator.

The invention comprises a device (10) for testing a test object (40), comprising an excitation system (13) for generating broadband ultrasound pulses (12′) in the test object, a detection system (20) for detecting ultrasound waves (21), which are generated through the broadband ultrasound pulses (12′) in the test object (40) and emitted by the test object (40). The device (10) comprises a processing unit (30) for processing the detected ultrasound waves (21), while the excitation system (13) being one of a thermoacoustic emitter or a pulsed laser and the detection system (20) is a broadband detection system. The excitation system (13) comprises a modulator (11) for modulating the broadband ultrasound pulses (12′). Furthermore, the invention comprises a method for testing a test object.

Acoustic imaging based on angular coherence is provided. The target is insonified with collimated acoustic beams at several different incidence angles. The resulting images are processed to determine angular coherence averaged over angle, and then integration of the angular coherence for relatively small angular differences is used to provide the output angular coherence image. In cases where flow imaging is done, the images are first filtered to suppress signals from stationary features of the target, multiple acquisitions are acquired, and the final flow image is computed by summing the squares of the angular coherence images (on a pixel by pixel basis).

An ultrasonic matrix phased array inspection system can include a plurality of curved matrix phased array probes surrounding a test chamber through which a longitudinal test object passes. Fluid injectors can provide a rotating fluid jacket around the longitudinal test object to ultrasonically couple the plurality of curved matrix phased array probes to the longitudinal test object. The plurality of curved matrix phased array probes can remain in a fixed position during inspection and can inspect the longitudinal test object by transmitting ultrasonic sound waves at various angles to identify flaws of any orientation.

A multimode ultrasonic probe tip and transducer integrated into a micro tool, such as a nano indenter or a nano indenter interfaced with a Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) is described. The tip component may be utilized to determine mechanical properties or characteristics of a sample, including for example, complex elastic modulus, hardness, friction coefficient, and strain and stress at nanometer scales and high frequencies. The tip component is configured to operate at multi-resonant frequencies providing sub-nanometer vertical resolution. The tip component may be quasi-statistically calibrated and contact mechanics constitutive equations may be utilized to derive mechanical properties of a sample. Contact mechanical impedance and acoustic impedance may also be compared.

According to one implementation, an ultrasonic test system includes an ultrasonic propagating body and an optical fiber sensor. The ultrasonic propagating body changes at least one traveling direction of at least one ultrasonic wave which propagates in a test target. The optical fiber sensor detects the at least one ultrasonic wave of which the at least one traveling direction has been changed by the ultrasonic propagating body.

A system includes an inspection robot for performing an inspection on an inspection surface with an inspection robot, the apparatus comprising a position definition circuit structured to determine an inspection robot position on the inspection surface; a data positioning circuit structured to interpret inspection data, and to correlate the inspection data to the inspection robot position on the inspection surface; and wherein the data positioning circuit is further structured to determine position informed inspection data in response to the correlating of the inspection data with the inspection robot position, wherein the position informed inspection data comprises absolute position data.