Inspection robots with swappable drive modules are described. An example inspect robot may include a first removeable interface plate on the side of a robot chassis. The first removable interface plate may couple a first drive module to an electronic board, within the chassis, where the electronic board includes a drive module interface circuit communicatively coupled to the first drive module. The example inspect robot may also include a second removeable interface plate on a side of a robot chassis. The second removable interface plate may couple a second drive module to an electronic board, within the chassis, where the electronic board includes a drive module interface circuit communicatively coupled to the second drive module.

Inspection robots and methods for inspection of curved surfaces with sensors at selected horizontal distances are described. An example of such an inspection robot includes a housing; a drive module with a wheel and a motor operatively linked to the housing, a plurality of sensor sleds, and a payload. The payload, which is coupled to the housing, may include a first and a second rail component, each with at least one connector, where the rail components are connectable at a first selected position of a plurality of discrete engagement positions. Each of the rail components may be structured to support at least one of the plurality of sleds where each of the plurality of sleds is coupled to the payload at a respective selected horizontal position such that the plurality of sleds are at selected horizontal distances from each other.

According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic probe includes a first member and a first vibrating element. The first member includes at least one selected from the group consisting of metal and ceramic. The first vibrating element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer provided between the first electrode and the first member, and a second electrode provided between the piezoelectric layer and the first member and being in contact with the first member.

The present disclosure enables apparatus and methods for tracking medications and/or product units via smart-packaging concepts. Embodiments include sensors that monitor the state of a blister-card package having an unpatterned lidding film by measuring the impedance of each dispensing region of the lidding film that defines a portion of a blister. In some embodiments, the impedance is measured via a plurality of contact points arranged on opposite sides of each dispensing region, where the contact points are resistively or capacitively coupled with the lidding film. In some embodiments, the impedance map of a measurement region on the blister card is derived via electrical impedance tomography or electrical resistance tomography, where the measurement region includes a plurality of dispensing regions.

Inspection robots with configurable interface plates are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing with at least three removable interface plates, each removable interface plate having a coupling interface for an electronic component on a first side, and coupled to at least one of a plurality of electronic boards on a second side. The example inspection robot may further include a drive module configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates, and a payload configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates. The example inspection robot may further include a means for operating the inspection robot in response to the drive module coupled to one of the removable interface plates, and the payload coupled to any other one of the removable interface plates.

A non-destructive opto-acoustic metrology device detects the presence and location of non-uniformities in a film stack that includes a large number, e.g., 50 or more, transparent layers. A transducer layer at the bottom of the film stack produces an acoustic wave in response to an excitation beam. A probe beam is reflected from the layer interfaces of the film stack and the acoustic wave to produce an interference signal that encodes data in a time domain from destructive and constructive interference as the acoustic wave propagates upward in the film stack. The data may be analyzed across the time domain to determine the presence and location of one or more non-uniformities in the film stack. An acoustic metrology target may be produced with a transducer layer configured to generate an acoustic wave with a desired acoustic profile based on characteristics of the film stack.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for tracking location of an inspection robot are disclosed. An example apparatus for tracking inspection data may include an inspection chassis having a plurality of inspection sensors configured to interrogate an inspection surface, a first drive module and a second drive module, both coupled to the inspection chassis. The first and second drive module may each include a passive encoder wheel and a non-contact sensor positioned in proximity to the passive encoder wheel, wherein the non-contact sensor provides a movement value corresponding to the first passive encoder wheel. An inspection position circuit may determine a relative position of the inspection chassis in response to the movement values from the first and second drive modules.

A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor includes a crystal plate, a buffer layer, and an electrode. The crystal plate has a first surface and a second surface. The second surface is opposite the first surface. The buffer layer includes a first buffer layer and a second buffer layer. The first buffer layer is disposed on the first surface of the crystal plate. the second buffer layer is disposed on the second surface of the crystal plate. The electrode includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is disposed on the first buffer layer. The second electrode is disposed on the second buffer layer. The electrode includes at least one of titanium, scandium, beryllium, cobalt, yttrium, zirconium, technetium, ruthenium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, lutetium, hafnium, rhenium, osmium, americium, curium, berkelium, and californium.

An inspection robot incudes a robot body, at least two sensors, a drive module, a stability assist device and an actuator. The at least two sensors are positioned to interrogate an inspection surface and are communicatively coupled to the robot body. The drive module includes at least two wheels that engage the inspection surface. The drive module is coupled to the robot body. The stability assist device is coupled to at least one of the robot body or the drive module. The actuator is coupled to the stability assist device at a first end, and coupled to one of the drive module or the robot body at a second end. The actuator is structured to selectively move the stability assist device between a first position and a second position. The first position includes a stored position. The second position includes a deployed position.

A non-destructive opto-acoustic metrology device detects the presence and location of non-uniformities in a film stack that includes a large number, e.g., 50 or more, transparent layers. A transducer layer at the bottom of the film stack produces an acoustic wave in response to an excitation beam. A probe beam is reflected from the layer interfaces of the film stack and the acoustic wave to produce an interference signal that encodes data in a time domain from destructive and constructive interference as the acoustic wave propagates upward in the film stack. The data may be analyzed across the time domain to determine the presence and location of one or more non-uniformities in the film stack. An acoustic metrology target may be produced with a transducer layer configured to generate an acoustic wave with a desired acoustic profile based on characteristics of the film stack.