Enhanced Digital Corrosion Detection System

The detection and quantification of corrosion in aircraft structures has primarily been a visual, thus subjective, technique. We propose to develop the algorithms, hardware and software needed to deploy a field-portable corrosion detection andquantification system resulting in an objective tool to evaluate the level of corrosion. The task requires: 1) determination of useable wavelengths, with minimal ambient interference, for use in corrosion detection; 2) the application of processingalgorithms to extract applicable data; 3) the application of processing algorithms to produce useable and quantified output; 4) the integration of hardware into a low-power portable device and, 5) benchmarking the results to develop standards.Heritage Digital proposes to modify processing and evaluation algorithms developed by the company for human skin analysis along with algorithms used in metallurgical analysis to the task. We would then apply experience with work performed with video-basedimage acquisition to commercially available low-power hardware into a field-portable Corrosion Quantification device. The effort combines commercially available low-power computer technologies and closed-loop control advances with proprietary developmentsin both image processing and mathematical manipulation of data digitized from raster sources.Corrosion is usually first detected visually. But with no method of which to quantify the level of damage, the visual detection is of limited use. If a method can be developed to determine the point of unacceptable corrosion, that is, the point a whichrepairs must be made, the savings to both the Air Force and commercial aviation would be substantial. If such a system could prevent unnecessary repairs, aircraft otherwise unavailable could be flying. Likewise, when repairs are needed for safety reasonsstructures could be repaired on a scheduled, rather than emergency, basis.