Low-cost, Position Indicator for Nondestructive Inspection C-Scanning

Arc Second, Inc, of Dulles, Virginia, has developed a high accuracy 3-D measurement system that is ideally suited to the location of non-destructive inspection tools. The system uses small infra-red laser transmitters that create rotating fan beams, and lightweight measurement sensors that can readily be attached to any tool. The system can be used indoors or outdoors at ranges up to 50 m. At a distance of 30 m from the transmitters, the system has been demonstrated to be accurate to better than 1.0 mm RMS with stationary sensors. This accuracy significantly exceeds the accuracy of 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) requested in this proposal, over an area that is 2,500 times larger than the required 2 ft x 2 ft area. High accuracy measurements can be made at a rate of one or two per second, and at higher rates with slightly reduced accuracy.