Automated Vision System Inspects a Large Surface

The figure schematically illustrates an automated electronic vision system that operates in conjunction with a scanning robot to inspect a large surface for damage. In the original application for which the system was developed, the surface comprises the panels of the space shuttle thermal radiators, with a total area of more than 1,200 ft2 (>111 m2). Typically, the whole area contains between zero and five damage sites, though occasionally it contains hundreds of damage sites, along with hundreds of nondamage sites that may look like damage sites at first glance. Heretofore, the surface was inspected by technicians using flashlights and magnifying glasses in a tedious, slow, labor-intensive process, and the inspection data were recorded manually in a form not readily accessible for review and analysis. The automated vision system performs the inspection much faster and stores results in a data base that is readily accessible for review and analysis.