Laser Mapping for Visual Inspection and Measurement

About this technology

Overview

Laser Techniques Company, LLC (LTC), of Bellevue, Washington, builds customized laser-based measurement and inspection devices to improve the safety, reliability, and useful life of high-value and safety-critical equipment and industrial machinery for the commercial, defense, and aerospace industries. In 2002, LTC successfully demonstrated that a miniature, high-performance laser could locate and map hidden flaws in Primary Reaction Control System thrusters that were smaller than the head of a pin, to an accuracy of 0.0003 inches. This led to development of an automated laser-based scanning system that included a miniature, high-performance laser sensor. With the scanning laser system, the area of a thruster can be quickly inspected and mapped, providing technicians with accurate 3-D data for evaluating the ceramic surface condition. The developments accomplished through the programs conducted for NASA are being directly extended to the commercial industry and for military defense applications.