Abstract: A laser transmission apparatus utilizing multiple laser beams and beam paths with a diverger lens to provide an illumination pattern that can compensate for lateral movement of the platform during shearography is provided. Further, this optical setup requires no moving parts and does not reduce power of the laser beams as they move through the individual components thereof. From the perspective of the surface being scanned or inspected, the present disclosure may provide two laser images of a single surface that appear to be identical despite the fact that they were taken from two different spatial positions of the moving platform.

Abstract: A splitting and recombining optical component with an increased field of view while maintaining or only minimally increasing the space requirements therefor is provided.

Abstract: A laser transmission apparatus utilizing multiple laser beams and beam paths with a diverger lens to provide an illumination pattern that can compensate for lateral movement of the platform during shearography is provided. Further, this optical setup requires no moving parts and does not reduce power of the laser beams as they move through the individual components thereof. From the perspective of the surface being scanned or inspected, the present disclosure may provide two laser images of a single surface that appear to be identical despite the fact that they were taken from two different spatial positions of the moving platform.

Abstract: A shearography system that operates while moving at significant speeds over a surface is disclosed. Two lasers are utilized and the distance between the two lasers is adjusted based on the altitude of the aircraft on which the shearography equipment is located, the speed of the aircraft, the distance between two lasers in the shearography equipment lasers, and the time difference between the laser pulses from each of the two lasers. The adjustment of the distance between the two lasers causes the angles of incidence and reflection to be the same for two sequential images and permits the moving shearography to work.

Abstract: The invention allows a shearography system to successfully sense ground/surface vibrations while moving at aircraft speeds and altitudes. This is done by effectively making stationary the apparent location of a coherent laser beam illuminating an area on the ground/surface, and also effectively making stationary the apparent location of the aperture of an optical receiver which acquires pairs of sequential images captured and used for shearography. A different laser is used for capturing each of the two images, and the distance between the two lasers is adjusted based on a number of operational parameters. The adjustment of the distance causes the apparent locations of the transmitter and a receiver sub-aperture to remain the same and permits the moving shearography to work.