System and method for damage detection by cast shadows
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsZiyou Xiong, Alan Matthew Finn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inspection system comprises an imaging device mounted so as to image a component surface. At least one controllable light mounted at low oblique angles around the component and configured to illuminate the component surface and cast at least one shadow on the component surface. A processor is coupled to the imaging device and the at least one controllable light. The processor is used for determining a feature based on a dissimilarity between image data and a reference model, and to determine damage to the component.
Claims16
An inspection system comprising:
- an imaging device mounted so as to image a component surface;
- at least one controllable light mounted at an oblique angle around said component and configured to illuminate said component surface and cast at least one shadow on said component surface;
- and
- a processor coupled to said imaging device and said at least one controllable light;
- said processor comprising a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with said processor, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- controlling, by the processor, said at least one controllable light to cast said at least one shadow;
- receiving, by the processor, image data for said component from said imaging device;
- removing, by the processor, specular reflections from the image data;
- determining, by the processor, a feature dissimilarity between the image data and a reference model;
- classifying, by the processor, the feature dissimilarity;
- and
- determining, by the processor, a probability that the feature dissimilarity indicates damage to the component.
A method for inspection of a component, comprising:
- imaging a component surface with an imaging device;
- mounting at least one controllable light at an oblique angle around said component;
- illuminating said component surface;
- casting at least one shadow on said component surface;
- coupling a processor to said imaging device and said at least one controllable light;
- said processor comprising a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with said processor, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- controlling said at least one controllable light to cast said at least one shadow;
- receiving image data for said component from said imaging device;
- determining a feature dissimilarity between the image data and a reference model;
- classifying the feature dissimilarity;
- and
- determining a probability that the feature dissimilarity indicates damage to the component
- detecting a defect based on said at least one shadow;
- and
- archiving said image data and said feature dissimilarity for at least one of future damage progression detection, damage trending and condition-based maintenance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.