Robot-assisted, source-camera-coupled multi-view broadband imagers for ubiquitous sensing platform

Multi-functional photo-imaging garners attention towards the development of universal safety-net sensor networks. Although there are urgent needs to comprehensively address the optical information from arbitrarily structured and located targets, investigations on multi-view sensitive broadband monitoring, being independent of the operating environment, are yet to be completed. This study presents a robot-assisted, photo-source and imager implanted, multi-view stereoscopic sensitive broadband photo-monitoring platform with reflective and transmissive switchable modes. A multifaceted photo-thermoelectric device design based on flexible carbon nanotube films facilitates the prototype demonstrations of non-destructive, target-structure-independent, free-form multi-view examinations on actual three-dimensional industrial components. Further functionalisation, namely, a portable system utilising three-dimensional printing and ultraviolet processing, achieves the unification of freely attachable photo-imagers and miniature photo-sources, enabling location-independent operation. Consequently, the non-destructive unmanned, remote, high-speed, omni-directional testing of a defective aerial miniature model winding road-bridge with a robot-assisted photo-source imager built into a multi-axis movable photo-thermoelectric monitor arm is demonstrated.

Kou Li, Ryoichi Yuasa, Ryogo Utaki, Meiling Sun, Yu Tokumoto, Daichi Suzuki, Yukio Kawano