Imaging Fixture for Automated Wrinkle Scaling in Composites
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting wrinkles in composite material components, such as those used in aircraft, are time-intensive and prone to variability due to manual scaling and light correction, leading to inconsistent results.
Innovation Solution
A fixture system that holds an imaging device at a fixed distance from the object and controls incident light, combined with calibration objects to determine an image scaling factor, allowing for automated and repeatable measurement of physical dimensions from images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual scaling and light correction are used for image analysis, then flexibility in processing is maintained, but measurement precision and reliability deteriorate due to variability between inspectors and locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service through automated image scaling and analysis. The calibration object with known dimensions allows the imaging system to automatically determine scale factors without manual intervention. The algorithm processes images autonomously, converting pixel measurements to physical dimensions using the calibration reference, thereby eliminating variability between inspectors and locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical scaling processes with an automated optical-mechanical system. The fixture with calibrated spacing replaces manual ruler or scale bar methods. The imaging system captures images that are automatically processed by algorithms to determine wrinkle dimensions, substituting human visual estimation and manual calculation with automated computational geometry.
2Ease of operation
If hand held portable UV microscope is used for wrinkle detection, then portability is improved, but measurement precision and reliability worsen due to variability in scale and lighting between locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calibration action by incorporating a calibration object with precisely known dimensions into the imaging setup before actual wrinkle measurement. The calibration object establishes a reference scale that is captured in the same image as the wrinkle features. This preliminary calibration step ensures that all subsequent measurements are based on a consistent, known reference, eliminating variability between different imaging locations and operators.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration object serves as an intermediary reference element between the imaging system and the object being measured. It provides a known dimensional relationship that mediates the conversion from pixel measurements to physical dimensions. The calibration object acts as a bridge that standardizes measurements across different imaging sessions, locations, and operators, thereby improving reliability while maintaining portability.
3Measurement precision
If fixed distance holding and light control fixture is implemented, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture is designed with multi-functionality to justify its structural complexity. It simultaneously performs multiple functions: (1) holds the imaging device at a fixed, known distance from the object, (2) provides structural support and positioning stability, (3) controls incident light on the imaging device, and (4) incorporates or positions the calibration object. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single integrated fixture, the patent reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate devices for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
An example system includes two objects each having a known dimension and positioned spaced apart by a known distance, and a fixture having an opening for receiving an imaging device and for holding the two objects in a field of view of the imaging device such that the field of view of the imaging device originates from a point normal to a surface of the base. The fixture holds the imaging device at a fixed distance from an object being imaged and controls an amount of incident light on the imaging device. An example method of determining image scaling includes holding an imaging device at a fixed distance from an object being imaged, and positioning the two objects in the field of view of the imaging device such that the field of view of the imaging device originates from a point normal to a line formed by the known distance.