Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes multiple sensors (including a visual sensor and one or more additional sensor(s), such as an optical gas imager and an anemometer), a real-time clock, and an inertial measurement unit, the sensors having central observation axes aligned in parallel, with the sensors and real-time clock (and optionally a location module) configured to generate data points from multiple poses of the inspection apparatus relative to an observed object. A method for operating an inspection apparatus includes obtaining data by sweeping the inspection apparatus across a region in parallel paths and circumscribing the region, time-stamping and/or attributing location coordinates to the data, correcting for positional offset of the sensors, collocating visual sensor data with data from other sensor(s), generating a point cloud and a 3D texture of the visual data, and generating a textured 3D model.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flexible sheet handling apparatus including a frame having a vacuum passage located around the periphery of the frame. There is also a porous, polymeric plug which covers the vacuum passage. When a vacuum is applied to the vacuum passage and the porous, polymeric plug, a flexible sheet in contact with the porous, polymeric plug is uniformly held only around the periphery of the flexible sheet by the applied vacuum.