Abstract: An inspection apparatus for enabling a remotely-located expert to monitor an inspection by a non-expert, the apparatus comprising an inspection device capable of being operated by the non-expert, which is configured to generate inspection data indicative of a condition of a test object, and a communication unit configured to: divide the inspection data into first and second data; transfer the first data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a first time, to facilitate substantially real-time monitoring of the inspection by the expert; and transfer the second data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a second time, which is later than the first time, to facilitate non-real time monitoring of the inspection by the expert.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus for enabling a remotely-located expert to monitor an inspection by a non-expert, the apparatus comprising an inspection device capable of being operated by the non-expert, which is configured to generate inspection data indicative of a condition of a test object, and a communication unit configured to: divide the inspection data into first and second data; transfer the first data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a first time, to facilitate substantially real-time monitoring of the inspection by the expert; and transfer the second data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a second time, which is later than the first time, to facilitate non-real time monitoring of the inspection by the expert.

Abstract: An apparatus for imaging structural features below the surface of an object, the apparatus comprising: a transmitter unit configured to transmit a sound pulse at the object; a receiver unit configured to receive reflections of sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter unit from the object; a signal processing unit configured to: analyse one or more signals received by the receiver unit from the object; recognise, in the one or more signals, a reflection that was caused by a first structural feature and a reflection that was caused by a second structural feature that is located, in the object, at least partly behind the first structural feature; and associate each recognised reflection with a relative depth in the object at which the reflection occurred; and an image generation unit configured to generate an image that includes a representation of the first and second structural features in dependence on the recognised reflections and their relative depths.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus for enabling a remotely-located expert to monitor an inspection by a non-expert, the apparatus comprising an inspection device capable of being operated by the non-expert, which is configured to generate inspection data indicative of a condition of a test object, and a communication unit configured to: divide the inspection data into first and second data; transfer the first data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a first time, to facilitate substantially real-time monitoring of the inspection by the expert; and transfer the second data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a second time, which is later than the first time, to facilitate non-real time monitoring of the inspection by the expert.

Abstract: A sensing apparatus comprising an ultrasound transceiver for transmitting ultrasound signals into a sample and receiving a resultant ultrasound reflection signal from the sample, a detector for processing signals received by the transceiver by comparing the received signal against a reference signal to generate a response signal, the response signal comprising values as a function of time that represent the strength of the match between the received signal and the reference signal at the respective time; and a driver capable of generating a plurality of pre-defined pulse templates.

Abstract: A scanning apparatus comprising a receiver circuit and a transmitter circuit, both circuits being flexible such that they are capable of conforming to the surface contours of an object as a surface of the apparatus is pressed against it and an adaptive backing positioned behind the transmitter and receiver circuits in the scanning apparatus and configured to, as the scanning apparatus is pressed against the object, conform to the flexible circuits.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus and method for reading matrix codes comprising an ultrasound transducer 20 which comprises transmitter and receiver electrodes, a receiver unit 24 connected to the receiver electrodes for processing the signals received by the receiver electrodes, and a transmitter module 21 connected to the transmitter electrodes, the transmitter module transferring an electronic signal to the transducer, where the signal shape is selected between a number of signal shapes according to the characteristics of the matrix code to be read.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus and method for reading matrix codes comprising an ultrasound transducer 20 which comprises transmitter and receiver electrodes, a receiver unit 24 connected to the receiver electrodes for processing the signals received by the receiver electrodes, and a transmitter module 21 connected to the transmitter electrodes, the transmitter module transferring an electronic signal to the transducer, where the signal shape is selected between a number of signal shapes according to the characteristics of the matrix code to be read.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus and method for reading matrix codes comprising an ultrasound transducer 20 which comprises transmitter and receiver electrodes, a receiver unit 24 connected to the receiver electrodes for processing the signals received by the receiver electrodes, and a transmitter module 21 connected to the transmitter electrodes, the transmitter module transferring an electronic signal to the transducer, where the signal shape is selected between a number of signal shapes according to the characteristics of the matrix code to be read.