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Background: In the mechanical testing of high-temperature structural materials, ultra-high temperature deformation measurement is very necessary and very challenging. Objective: To overcome the challenge of using single-camera stereo-digital image correlation (stereo-DIC) for ultra-high-temperature measurement. Methods: An ultraviolet single-camera stereo-DIC system combining active UV illuminations, an ultraviolet camera, a single UV narrow bandpass filter, a reflective prism and two reflectors was established. In addition, two types of high temperature speckle patterns were prepared A tensile test of C/C composites at 2600 °C was conducted to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the developed technology. Results: The ultraviolet single-camera stereo-DIC system has excellent resistance to thermal radiation. As well, the two types of speckle patterns are available at 2600 °C. And the values of elastic modulus calculated by the developed technology and high-temperature extensometer are very close to each other, and the relative errors are less than 7%. Conclusions: The well matched strain results with high-temperature extensometer data demonstrates that the ultraviolet single-camera stereo-DIC is an effective ultra-high temperature deformation measurement technology and has great potential in characterizing the deformation response of materials at ultra-high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Deep learning–based image enhancement has significant potential in the field of ultrasound image processing, as it can accurately model complicated nonlinear artifacts and noise, such as ultrasonic speckle patterns. However, training deep learning networks to acquire reference images that are clean and free of noise presents significant challenges. This study introduces an unsupervised deep learning framework, termed speckle-to-speckle (S2S), designed for speckle and noise suppression. This framework can complete its training without the need for clean (speckle-free) reference images. Methods: The proposed network leverages statistical reasoning for the mutual training of two in vivo images, each with distinct speckle patterns and noise. It then infers speckle- and noise-free images without needing clean reference images. This approach significantly reduces the time, cost, and effort experts need to invest in annotating reference images manually. Results: The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach outperformed existing techniques in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, structural similarity index, edge preservation index, and processing time (up to 86 times faster). It also performed excellently on images obtained from ultrasound scanners other than the ones used in this work. Conclusion: S2S demonstrates the potential of employing an unsupervised learning-based technique in medical imaging applications, where acquiring a ground truth reference is challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) often encounters challenges with variability and consistency in traditional speckle pattern application techniques, such as spray-painting, affecting measurement accuracy and reliability. This study evaluates a film-free water decal method as an alternative for applying speckle patterns in DIC. SS275 structural steel specimens were prepared with speckle patterns using both the film-free water decal method and traditional spray-painting. The quality of the speckle patterns was assessed, and their effectiveness for DIC was evaluated through tensile testing and a comparison with strain gauge measurements. The film-free water decal method provided enhanced control over speckle pattern application, resulting in high-quality, consistent patterns. Strain measurements obtained using this method closely matched those from traditional methods, confirming its reliability. The film-free water decal method offers a practical and reliable alternative to spray-painting, improving the consistency and accuracy of DIC experiments, with potential applications in various engineering and scientific fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scanning electron microscopy‐based high‐resolution digital image correlation (HRDIC) is now an established technique, providing full‐field strain and displacement measurement at the microscale. Techniques for generating speckle patterns for sub‐micron strain mapping can often be either substrate dependent or rely on applying aggressive conditions which may alter the microstructure of interest or damage the substrate in highly sensitive materials. We detail a modification of a methodology successfully applied in the literature to allow its use with metallic materials that are particularly sensitive to the corrosive media, such as copper‐base alloys. Nanometre‐thick silver films, applied with physical vapour deposition, are remodelled using NaBr in non‐aqueous isopropanol, replacing the aqueous solution of NaCl in the original method, forming a uniform dispersion of silver islands highly suitable for digital image correlation (DIC) measurement. The entire procedure is performed at ambient temperature. We find that the DIC pattern is suitably electron transparent to allow electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements without pattern removal, producing diffraction patterns of sufficient quality for cross‐correlation based high‐angular resolution EBSD. This property facilitates simultaneous EBSD and DIC mapping experiments, providing deeper insights into the kinematics of plastic deformation in crystalline materials. Sub‐100 nm islands are achieved through control of the sputter coating parameters, resulting in DIC cross‐correlation subwindows of 140 nm with a 50% overlap. This resolution is sufficient to capture the fine detail of strain localisation phenomena during plastic deformation, demonstrated here with a case study in CuCrZr, a precipitation‐hardened heat sink material for application in nuclear fusion components. Here, we extract full‐field displacement data with DIC and corresponding orientation information using EBSD without the need for pattern removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speckle pattern-based remote vibration monitoring has recently become increasingly valuable in industrial, commercial, and medical applications. The dynamic and random nature of speckle patterns offers practical applications for imaging and measurement systems. The speckle pattern is an interference pattern generated by light scattered from a rough surface onto a remote plane. It is typically sensed using area scan cameras (2D), which are limited to framerates of 2–4 kHz and can only capture a small region of interest (ROI). In this work, we propose a technique that enables the capture of synthetic 2D speckle patterns using a 1D high-acquisition-rate sensor and a diffractive optical element (DOE) to produce image replicas. The multiple replicas are scanned by the 1D sensor simultaneously at different spatial positions. This method provides an ability to sense remote vibrations in all directions, contrary to the case with a simple 1D sensing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the feasibility of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based digital image correlation (DIC) analysis and to identify the experimental parameters for measurements of polymerization shrinkage. Class I cavities were prepared on bovine incisors and filled with Filtek Z350XT Flowable (Z350F). One OCT image of the polymerized restoration was processed to generate virtually displaced images. In addition, the tooth specimen was physically moved under OCT scanning. A DIC software analyzed these virtual and physical transformation sets and assessed the effects of subset sizes on accuracy. The refractive index of unpolymerized and polymerized Z350F was measured via OCT images. Finally, different particles (70–80 µm glass beads, 150–212 µm glass beads, and 75–150 µm zirconia powder) were added to Z350F to inspect the analyzing quality. The analyses revealed a high correlation (>99.99%) for virtual movements within 131 pixels (639 µm) and low errors (<5.21%) within a 10-µm physical movement. A subset size of 51 × 51 pixels demonstrated the convergence of correlation coefficients and calculation time. The refractive index of Z350F did not change significantly after polymerization. Adding glass beads or zirconia particles caused light reflection or shielding in OCT images, whereas blank Z350F produced the best DIC analysis results. The OCT-based DIC analysis with the experimental conditions is feasible in measuring polymerization shrinkage of RBC restorations. The subset size in the DIC analysis should be identified to optimize the analysis conditions and results. Uses of hyper- or hypo-reflective particles is not recommended in this method. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the high-speed flight of a vehicle in the atmosphere, surface friction with the air generates aerodynamic heating. The aerodynamic heating phenomenon can create extremely high temperatures near the surface. These high temperatures impact material properties and the structure of the aircraft, so thermal deformation measurement is essential in aerospace engineering. This paper revisits high-temperature deformation measurement using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique under high-intensity blackbody radiation with a precise speckle pattern fabrication and a heat haze reduction method. The effects of the speckle pattern on the DIC measurement have been thoroughly studied at room temperature, but high-temperature measurement studies have not reported such effects so far. We found that the commonly used methods to reduce the heat haze effect could produce incorrect results. Hence, we propose a new method to mitigate heat haze effects. An infrared radiation heater was employed to make an experimental setup that could heat a specimen up to 950 °C. First, we mitigated image saturation using a short-wavelength bandpass filter with blue light illumination, a standard procedure for high-temperature DIC deformation measurement. Second, we studied how to determine the proper size of the speckle pattern in a high-temperature environment. Third, we devised a reduction method for the heat haze effect. As proof of the effectiveness of our developed experimental method, we successfully measured the deformation of stainless steel 304 specimens from 25 °C to 800 °C. The results confirmed that this method can be applied to the research and development of thermal protection systems in the aerospace field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) has been widely used as a non-contact deformation measurement technique. Nevertheless, its accuracy is greatly affected by the speckle pattern on the specimen. To systematically evaluate how speckle deformability affects the precision of DIC algorithms. In this study, a test dataset of 2D speckle patterns with various prescribed deformation fields was numerically generated, containing two categories of speckles, i.e., the deformable and the non-deformable (rigid) ones. This dataset was used to evaluate the performance of inverse compositional Gauss-Newton (ICGN)-based DIC algorithms with two types of shape function (first-order and second-order), in the different scenarios of the deformation field. The results showed that imaging noise had a significant influence on the DIC algorithm. The first-order shape function (ICGN-1) performed better when tracking the simple linear deformation field. While the second-order shape function (ICGN-2) was proved to perform better on non-linear deformations. Moreover, the deformability of the speckle was found to have an obvious impact on the performance of the DIC algorithm. ICGN-2 could effectively reduce so-called speckle rigidity induced (SRI) error. Conclusively, ICGN-2 should be chosen as priority, because of its feasibility on non-linear deformation fields and speckle rigidity. While in the linear deformation scenarios, ICGN-1 was still a robust and efficient method.

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) often encounters challenges with variability and consistency in traditional speckle pattern application techniques, such as spray-painting, affecting measurement accuracy and reliability. This study evaluates a film-free water decal method as an alternative for applying speckle patterns in DIC. SS275 structural steel specimens were prepared with speckle patterns using both the film-free water decal method and traditional spray-painting. The quality of the speckle patterns was assessed, and their effectiveness for DIC was evaluated through tensile testing and a comparison with strain gauge measurements. The film-free water decal method provided enhanced control over speckle pattern application, resulting in high-quality, consistent patterns. Strain measurements obtained using this method closely matched those from traditional methods, confirming its reliability. The film-free water decal method offers a practical and reliable alternative to spray-painting, improving the consistency and accuracy of DIC experiments, with potential applications in various engineering and scientific fields.

During the high-speed flight of a vehicle in the atmosphere, surface friction with the air generates aerodynamic heating. The aerodynamic heating phenomenon can create extremely high temperatures near the surface. These high temperatures impact material properties and the structure of the aircraft, so thermal deformation measurement is essential in aerospace engineering. This paper revisits high-temperature deformation measurement using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique under high-intensity blackbody radiation with a precise speckle pattern fabrication and a heat haze reduction method. The effects of the speckle pattern on the DIC measurement have been thoroughly studied at room temperature, but high-temperature measurement studies have not reported such effects so far. We found that the commonly used methods to reduce the heat haze effect could produce incorrect results. Hence, we propose a new method to mitigate heat haze effects. An infrared radiation heater was employed to make an experimental setup that could heat a specimen up to 950 °C. First, we mitigated image saturation using a short-wavelength bandpass filter with blue light illumination, a standard procedure for high-temperature DIC deformation measurement. Second, we studied how to determine the proper size of the speckle pattern in a high-temperature environment. Third, we devised a reduction method for the heat haze effect. As proof of the effectiveness of our developed experimental method, we successfully measured the deformation of stainless steel 304 specimens from 25 °C to 800 °C. The results confirmed that this method can be applied to the research and development of thermal protection systems in the aerospace field.

Water is an invaluable resource quickly becoming scarce in many parts of the world. Therefore, the importance of efficiency in water supply and distribution has greatly increased. Some of the main tools for limiting losses in supply and distribution networks are leakage sensors that enable real-time monitoring. With fiber optics recently becoming a commodity, along with the sound advances in computing power and its miniaturization, multipurpose sensors relying on these technologies have gradually become common. In this study, we explore the development and testing of a multimode optic-fiber-based pipe monitoring and leakage detector based on statistical and machine learning analyses of speckle patterns captured from the fiber's outlet by a defocused camera. The sensor was placed inside or over a PVC pipe with covered and exposed core configurations, while 2 to 8 mm diameter pipe leaks were simulated under varied water flow and pressure. We found an overall leak size determination accuracy of 75.8% for a 400 µm covered fiber and of 68.3% for a 400 µm exposed fiber and demonstrated that our sensor detected pipe bursts, outside interventions, and shocks. This result was consistent for the sensors fixed inside and outside the pipe with both covered and exposed fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speckle pattern-based remote vibration monitoring has recently become increasingly valuable in industrial, commercial, and medical applications. The dynamic and random nature of speckle patterns offers practical applications for imaging and measurement systems. The speckle pattern is an interference pattern generated by light scattered from a rough surface onto a remote plane. It is typically sensed using area scan cameras (2D), which are limited to framerates of 2–4 kHz and can only capture a small region of interest (ROI). In this work, we propose a technique that enables the capture of synthetic 2D speckle patterns using a 1D high-acquisition-rate sensor and a diffractive optical element (DOE) to produce image replicas. The multiple replicas are scanned by the 1D sensor simultaneously at different spatial positions. This method provides an ability to sense remote vibrations in all directions, contrary to the case with a simple 1D sensing system.

This study presents a computational ghost imaging (GI) scheme that utilizes sequenced random speckle pattern illumination. The primary objective is to develop a speckle pattern/sequence that improves computational time without compromising image quality. To achieve this, we modulate the sequence of speckle sizes and design experiments based on three sequence rules for ordering the random speckle patterns. Through theoretical analysis and experimental validation, we demonstrate that our proposed scheme achieves a significantly better contrast-to-noise rate (CNR) compared to traditional GI at a similar resolution. Notably, the sequential GI method outperforms conventional approaches by providing over 10 times faster computational speed in certain speckle composition groups. Furthermore, we identify the corresponding speckle sizes that yield superior image quality, which are found to be geometrically proportional to the reference object area. This innovative approach utilizing sequenced random speckle patterns demonstrates potential suitability for imaging objects with complex or unknown shapes. The findings of this study hold great promise for advancing the field of computational GI and pseudo-thermal GI, addressing the need for improved computational efficiency while maintaining high-quality imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparatory operations of DIC (Digital Image Correlation) tests were investigated in this study, with special emphasis on specimen cleaning and painting operations. As it is well known, DIC tests are non-contact and applied in materials research, the analysis of complex structures, and, nowadays, the construction industry. The use of DIC technologies has seen a dynamic increase in all scientific fields. In our study, aluminum body panels for automotive and railway applications were tested using this technique. There are many articles on proper patterning in the literature but fewer on preparation and priming. These are critical for a successful DIC measurement. This paper looks at different surface cleaners and primers with different grading procedures and will also determine the time window within which the paint should be applied. Finally, the GOM ARAMIS system was applied to measure and characterize the painted surface and visible deformation defects resulting from inadequate painting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with DIC (Digital Image Correlation) tests on steel plates used in the automotive and railway industries, as well as in the construction industry. The most critical part of DIC tests is the quality of proper surface preparation, painting, and random patterns. The paint mediates the deformation of the optical systems, and its quality is paramount. The authors' goal in this research is to determine the optimal dye–cleaning–drying time parameters for DIC studies. Commercially available surface preparation and cleaning agents were tested alongside commercially available spray paints. Standard and specific qualification procedures were applied for the measurements. Once the appropriate parameters were determined, the results were validated and qualified by GOM ARAMIS tests. Based on the results, DIC measurements can be performed with higher accuracy and safety in laboratorial and industrial conditions, compared to the traditional deformation measurements executed by dial gauges or linear variable differential transformers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital image correlation (DIC) method is widely used in deformation measurements as it has the advantages of being a non-contact, high precision method that provides full field measurements, and requires simple experimental equipment. Traditionally, the grayscale speckle patterns captured by a monochromatic camera are used in the DIC method. With the growing development of consumer color cameras, there is great potential for developing color information in the DIC method. This paper proposes a displacement- and stress–strain-invariant DIC deformation measurement method based on the integer-pixel matching approach for speckle patterns during a tension test. For the integer-pixel matching stage, the load and displacement and stress–strain-invariant histories feature is used to estimate the initial value of the deformation parameters. In addition, this paper proposes a reverse retrieve strategy, instead of a forward search, to reduce the search time. Experiments show that the proposed DIC deformation measurement approach is not only capable of displacement invariance measurement, with robustness and high efficiency, but also that the average accuracy of the stress–strain result can reach 0.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovering the wavelengths from disordered speckle patterns has emerged as an exciting prospect as a wavelength measurement method due to its combination of high resolution and straightforward design. In previous studies, panel cameras were commonly utilized as the speckle image receiver. However, high cost (especially in a near-infrared range), bulky size, and low speed have limited its application in optical communications, metrology, and optical sensing. In this work, we effectively compressed speckle patterns into four intensities by using a quadrant detector (QD), bypassing the need for millions of pixels as in conventional cameras. Remarkably, wavelengths can still be recovered through only these four pixels. A new CNN based demodulation algorithm, shallow residual network (SRN), was proposed to recognize the wavelengths from the highly compressed speckle images. Finally, a wavelength precision of 4 fm (∼ 0.5 MHz) with an updating speed of ∼ 1 kHz was achieved in the demonstrations. In addition, the SRN shows a broad measurement range and good noise robustness. Compared with a camera-based system, the QD detection scheme associated with the CNN algorithm provides a compact, high-speed, and low-cost method to examine the speckle patterns, which opens new routes in many other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development in aerospace technology makes it increasingly important to understand the thermal-mechanical behavior of materials subject to high temperature ranging from 2000°C to 3000 °C. In this work, a simple and low-cost Ultraviolet-Digital Image Correlation (UV-DIC) system composed of a CCD camera, a telecentric lens and a single UV bandpass filter was proposed for deformation measurement at up to 3000 °C. Hafnium carbide (HfC) powder was used as the speckle pattern material. To verify the UV-DIC system and the speckle pattern, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of graphite heated by electric current was measured from 25 °C to 3000 °C. The results show that the system can effectively suppress strong heat radiation at up to 3000 °C, and that the prepared speckle pattern can withstand 3000 °C. Comparison of the measured CTE of graphite with that in the existing database verifies the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed method. The proposed method and technology lay the foundation for further development of the DIC in ultra-high temperature deformation measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is an invaluable resource quickly becoming scarce in many parts of the world. Therefore, the importance of efficiency in water supply and distribution has greatly increased. Some of the main tools for limiting losses in supply and distribution networks are leakage sensors that enable real-time monitoring. With fiber optics recently becoming a commodity, along with the sound advances in computing power and its miniaturization, multipurpose sensors relying on these technologies have gradually become common. In this study, we explore the development and testing of a multimode optic-fiber-based pipe monitoring and leakage detector based on statistical and machine learning analyses of speckle patterns captured from the fiber’s outlet by a defocused camera. The sensor was placed inside or over a PVC pipe with covered and exposed core configurations, while 2 to 8 mm diameter pipe leaks were simulated under varied water flow and pressure. We found an overall leak size determination accuracy of 75.8% for a 400 µm covered fiber and of 68.3% for a 400 µm exposed fiber and demonstrated that our sensor detected pipe bursts, outside interventions, and shocks. This result was consistent for the sensors fixed inside and outside the pipe with both covered and exposed fibers.

We present a method that can automatically determine the optimal camera exposure time for high-quality deformation measurement with digital image correlation (DIC) techniques. The proposed method needs to capture a series of surface images of a test sample at its reference state with different camera exposure times. The relationship between the mean intensity gradients (MIGs) and average grayscales of these images reveals that the best quality (i.e. maximum MIG) of a speckled sample surface always corresponds to a certain average grayscale. Thus, the proposed method can serve two purposes in DIC practice. First, at the initial state, the camera exposure time can be adjusted automatically to obtain a reference image with the best speckle pattern quality. Second, by adjusting the camera exposure time to make the average grayscale of an image close to the predetermined optimal value, the proposed method can adaptively output high-quality deformed images with an almost constant speckle pattern quality, regardless of serious ambient light variations. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method can automatically obtain stable and high-quality speckle pattern images, thus delivering better DIC measurement compared with regular DIC techniques using a fixed camera exposure time. Because the present automatic camera exposure time control method allows a nonprofessional operator to consistently obtain high-quality speckle pattern images that warrant high-accuracy DIC measurements, it is therefore suggested that the present method should be used as a routine practice in practical DIC applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Deep learning-based image enhancement has significant potential in the field of ultrasound image processing, as it can accurately model complicated nonlinear artifacts and noise, such as ultrasonic speckle patterns. However, training deep learning networks to acquire reference images that are clean and free of noise presents significant challenges. This study introduces an unsupervised deep learning framework, termed speckle-to-speckle (S2S), designed for speckle and noise suppression. This framework can complete its training without the need for clean (speckle-free) reference images., Methods: The proposed network leverages statistical reasoning for the mutual training of two in vivo images, each with distinct speckle patterns and noise. It then infers speckle- and noise-free images without needing clean reference images. This approach significantly reduces the time, cost, and effort experts need to invest in annotating reference images manually., Results: The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach outperformed existing techniques in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, structural similarity index, edge preservation index, and processing time (up to 86 times faster). It also performed excellently on images obtained from ultrasound scanners other than the ones used in this work., Conclusion: S2S demonstrates the potential of employing an unsupervised learning-based technique in medical imaging applications, where acquiring a ground truth reference is challenging.

Digital image correlation (DIC) is a powerful full-field displacement measurement technique that has been used in various studies. The first step in the DIC is to create a random speckle pattern, where the spraying method is usually employed. However, creating an optimal pattern and modification in the spraying method is not convenient. Furthermore, the size of speckles which is not so small in spraying method, limits the minimum size of the field of study. In the present research, a convenient novel technique was introduced and investigated to generate a practical kind of speckle pattern with small speckles for evaluating smaller fields of view using nanoparticles. The pattern was created by spreading a mixture of different black and white nanoparticles. To this end, the black graphene oxide particles were mixed with white nanoparticles of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide and silicon to obtain three mixtures. Displacement tests show that the mixture of graphene and titanium provides the best DIC performance. More granularly, graphene and titanium were mixed at three different ratios to find the optimal combination. Subsequently, the accuracy of the new patterning method was analyzed via tensile testing and the results were compared against those of conventional method with various subset sizes.

The production of parts and (or) finished products in electronics, mechanical engineering and other industries is inextricably linked with the control of the accuracy and cleanliness of the processed surfaces. Currently existing meters of parameters of statistically uneven surfaces, both contact and non-contact have some disadvantages, as well as limitations due to methods and design features of measurement. Speckle interferometric methods for measuring parameters of statistically uneven surfaces make it possible to get away from some disadvantages inherent in existing methods and measurements. The use of methods of statistical radio engineering, methods of optimization of statistical solutions and estimates of parameters of predictive distributions for optimal radio engineering system synthesis is promising for the analysis and processing optical-electronic coherent laser space-time signals (speckle images) form with the laser radiation scattered by statistically uneven surfaces. This work synthesizes the optimal algorithm and structure for analyzing the parameters of statistically-temporal surfaces based on spatio-temporal processing of optical speckle interference signals and images using modern methods of optimal synthesis of radio engineering and coherent optoelectronic systems. In this work, an algorithm for processing optical signals scattered by statistically uneven surfaces is synthesized and investigated for problems of optimal estimation of parameters and statistical characteristics of statistically uneven surfaces. A block diagram of the optical contactless device for evaluating the parameters of statistically uneven surfaces is proposed. The limiting errors of estimation parameters of statistically uneven surfaces and the optimal installation angles of the emitters and the optical receiver are investigated. Equations are obtained for estimating the root-mean-square height of the ridges and the correlation radius of small-scale statistically uneven surfaces in the approximation of small perturbations. The proposed method for evaluating the parameters of statistically uneven surfaces allows to increase the accuracy of measurements, to conduct a non-contact assessment of the parameters - even statistically uneven surfaces that have geometric surface irregularities or located in hard-to-reach places, for example, grooves, holes, as well as products of cylindrical, spherical and other shapes.

For the characterization of the mechanical deformation of materials at microscopic length scales, image processing of a high-quality surface pattern was used. We imprinted speckle patterns onto a thin polymer film attached to the surface of flat and curved metal substrates using flexible molds and soft-thermal nanoimprint lithography. High optical contrast was achieved by mixing black dye into the film generating high absorption in the elevated structures, and by adding titania nanoparticles as fillers to the recessed areas to induce diffuse scattering. For accessing resolution suitable to detect deformation at an individual grain level, the structure sizes were scaled down from 20 μm to 2 μm. For both structure sizes imaging was tested using a digital image correlation setup, that enables 3D imaging of samples with angles of up to 10° of inclination.

This study presents a computational ghost imaging (GI) scheme that utilizes sequenced random speckle pattern illumination. The primary objective is to develop a speckle pattern/sequence that improves computational time without compromising image quality. To achieve this, we modulate the sequence of speckle sizes and design experiments based on three sequence rules for ordering the random speckle patterns. Through theoretical analysis and experimental validation, we demonstrate that our proposed scheme achieves a significantly better contrast-to-noise rate (CNR) compared to traditional GI at a similar resolution. Notably, the sequential GI method outperforms conventional approaches by providing over 10 times faster computational speed in certain speckle composition groups. Furthermore, we identify the corresponding speckle sizes that yield superior image quality, which are found to be geometrically proportional to the reference object area. This innovative approach utilizing sequenced random speckle patterns demonstrates potential suitability for imaging objects with complex or unknown shapes. The findings of this study hold great promise for advancing the field of computational GI and pseudo-thermal GI, addressing the need for improved computational efficiency while maintaining high-quality imaging.

Correlation between 3D surface roughness and characteristic features extracted from laser speckle pattern was done using an inexpensive laser pointer and a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera in previous research work. There had been no comparison work done between the experimental setup which uses a laser pointer, which has a diode laser as the laser source, and the experimental setup, which uses a He-Ne laser as the laser source. As such, in the current work, a comparison study between two experimental setups was carried out. One experimental setup was using a He-Ne laser, spatial filter, and charged coupled device (CCD) camera, while another experimental setup was using a laser pointer and DSLR camera. The laser beam was illuminated at angles of 30°, 45°, and 60° from the horizontal. When a laser beam falls on the surface, the beam gets scattered, and the scattered beam undergoes interference and produces speckle patterns which are captured using a camera. Using a Matlab program, the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) characteristic features, such as contrast (GLCM), correlation (GLCM), energy (GLCM), entropy (GLCM), homogeneity (GLCM), and maximum probability, and non-GLCM characteristic features, such as mean, standard deviation (STD), uniformity, entropy, normalized R, and white-to-black ratio (W/B), were extracted and correlated with 3D surface roughness parameters. The coefficient of determination (R2) was determined for each case. Compared to the setup using a laser pointer, the setup using a He-Ne laser gave better results. In the setup using the He-Ne laser, there were correlations with a coefficient of determination R2 ≥ 0.7 at illumination angles of 30°, 45°, and 60°, whereas in the setup using a laser pointer, there were correlations with R2 ≥ 0.7 at illumination angles of 30° and 45°. Mean characteristic features had more correlations with R2 ≥ 0.7 in the case of the angle of illumination of 45° (7 out of 36 correlations) and 60° (11 out of 82 correlations), while R-normalized characteristic features had more correlations with R2 ≥ 0.7 in the case of the angle of illumination of 30° (9 out of 38 correlations) for the setup using the He-Ne laser. Correlation (GLCM) had more correlations with R2 ≥ 0.7 in the case of the setup using a laser pointer (2 out of 2 correlations for illumination angle of 30°, and 4 out of 19 correlations for an illumination angle of 45°). Roughness parameters Sa and Sq had more correlations with R2 ≥ 0.7 for an illumination angle of 30° (1 out of 2 correlations each), and Sp and Sz had more correlations with R2 ≥ 0.7 for an illumination angle of 45° (4 out of 19 correlations each) in the case of the setup using a laser pointer. The novelty of this work is (1) being a correlation study between 3D surface roughness and speckle pattern using a He-Ne laser and spatial filter, and (2) being a comparison study between two experimental setups on the correlation between 3D surface roughness and speckle pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicomponent mixtures of bilayer lipids, thanks to the coexistence of liquid‐crystalline phases in their structures, may be used in the development of functional membranes. In such membranes interlayer ordering distributes across membrane lamellae, resulting in long‐range alignment of phase‐separated domains. In this paper, we explore the dynamics of this phenomenon by laser speckle pattern analysis. We show that cholesterol content decreases the activity, and the rate of the domains size development is related to the change of physical roughness of the multicomponent lipid mixture. Our results are in agreement with the previous experimental reports. However, our experimental procedure is an easy‐to‐implement and effective methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforced cement concrete (RCC) is universally acknowledged as a low-cost, rigid, and high-strength construction material. Major structures like buildings, bridges, dams, etc., are made of RCC and subjected to repetitive loading during their service life for which structural performance deteriorates with time. Bridges and high-rise structures, being above ground level, are hard to equip with the contact mechanical methods to inspect strains and displacements for structural health monitoring (SHM). A non-contact, optical and computer vision based full field measuring technique called digital image correlation (DIC) technique was developed in the recent past to specifically evaluate bridge decks. Generally, optical images of structure in field conditions are not acquired precisely perpendicular to the object, which instinctively affects the deformation results obtained during loading conditions. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with DIC vision-based technique acts as a rapid and cost-effective tool to quantify the serviceability of bridges by measuring strains and displacements at inaccessible locations. In this study, a non-contact unmanned aerial vehicle image correlation (UAVIC) technique is used on a scaled bridge girder and a contact method of measuring deformations with a dial gauge. Both investigations are correlated for accuracy assessment, and it is understood that results in laboratory conditions are 90% accurate. Similarly, the UAVIC technique is also performed on a rail over the bridge in the field conditions to understand the feasibility of the proposed method and evaluate damage quantification of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Micro‐speckle patterns were fabricated using α‐Al2O3 and SiC micro‐particles for in‐plane strain distribution measurement at temperatures up to 1500°C using an ultraviolet high‐temperature observation system (UV‐HTOS) combined with a digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The experimental results showed that the measured mean surface strains of α‐Al2O3 were in good agreement with the calculated values obtained from thermal expansion coefficient and temperature difference. The proposed speckle pattern could be used for strain distribution measurement without degradation even after heating up to 1500°C. The results also demonstrated that the pattern fabricated in this study is effective to understand the heterogeneous deformation mechanism in composite materials applied in high‐temperature structural components.

This paper contains the relation between speckle pattern and Digital Image Correlation (DIC). The most important advance in experimental mechanics has been DIC since the strain gage. The deformation (strain) of an object can be visualized by DIC. Among all scientific fields, the DIC Technologies have seen a dynamic increase. The relationship between the paint and the sample - as the patterns mediate the deformation to the cameras - has been the most important technological issue. In this article the method developed for the detection of isolated particles in alloys is used to characterize the spots, which help the best speckle pattern has determined.

• A high-resolution single-pixel imaging method using the SMF-HMMF probe is proposed. • A wavelength-modulated SMF-HMMF probe is designed to generate speckle patterns. • The number and spatial resolution of generated speckle patterns are significantly improved. • The SMF-HHMF probe has excellent robustness. • High-resolution imaging of complex target objects is achieved at a sampling rate of 5%. In single-pixel imaging, the combination of random speckles generated by the multimode fiber (MMF) as projection patterns and the compressed sensing theory is beneficial for improving imaging performance and expanding application scenarios. However, the image reconstruction quality using the MMF is usually unsatisfactory, which is helpless for retrieving objects with detailed information or multi-resolution objects. The reason lies in the limited number and compromised spatial resolution of low-correlated speckle patterns provided by the MMF in practical circumstances like long operating time or bending disturbances. Here, we propose a novel concept of hybrid multimode fibers (HMMF) for single-pixel imaging resolution enhancement. Based on the bending insensitivity property of single-mode fiber (SMF) and the compatibility property of small bending radius and high mode density of HMMF, the wavelength-modulated SMF-HMMF probe is designed to significantly improve the number and spatial resolution of speckle patterns while ensuring the robustness of the imaging system. The experimental results demonstrate that the spatial resolution of the speckle patterns has been improved by approximately 3 times (from 20.35 pixels to 7.24 pixels) compared to the non-HMMF probe. The correlation of the speckle patterns holds as low as about 0.1, even when the tuning wavelength interval is reduced to 5 pm. The maximum deviation of the repeatability of the speckle pattern was 0.044 for the 120-min interval tested, and the consistent output of the speckle pattern under various bending configurations demonstrates the strong robustness of the imaging system. High-quality imaging of multi-resolution target objects has been achieved even at a remarkably low sampling rate (SR) of 5 %. This study has the potential to expand the application of single-pixel imaging systems in flexible and long-distance detection imaging scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The camera is the main sensor of vison-based human activity recognition, and its high-precision calibration of distortion is an important prerequisite of the task. Current studies have shown that multi-parameter model methods achieve higher accuracy than traditional methods in the process of camera calibration. However, these methods need hundreds or even thousands of images to optimize the camera model, which limits their practical use. Here, we propose a novel point-to-point camera distortion calibration method that requires only dozens of images to get a dense distortion rectification map. We have designed an objective function based on deformation between the original images and the projection of reference images, which can eliminate the effect of distortion when optimizing camera parameters. Dense features between the original images and the projection of the reference images are calculated by digital image correlation (DIC). Experiments indicate that our method obtains a comparable result with the multi-parameter model method using a large number of pictures, and contributes a 28.5% improvement to the reprojection error over the polynomial distortion model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orbital angular momentum (OAM) of vortex beams offers a new degree for information encoding, which has been applied to optical communications. OAM measurement is essential for these applications, and has been realized in free space by several methods. However, these methods are inapplicable to estimate the OAM of vortex beams directly from the speckle patterns in the exit end of a multimode fiber (MMF). To tackle this issue, we design a convolutional neural network (CNN) to realize 100% accuracy recognition of two orthogonally polarized OAM modes from speckle patterns. Moreover, we demonstrate that even when the speckle patterns are cropped to only 1/64 of the original patterns, the recognition accuracy of the designed neural network is still higher than 98%. We also study the recognition accuracy of cropped speckles in different areas of speckle patterns to verify the feasibility of OAM recognition after cropping. The results demonstrate that recognizing the OAMs of two orthogonally polarized vortex beams from only a portion of speckle patterns in the exit end of an MMF is feasible, offering the potential to construct a 1 × N data transmission scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel nondestructive testing method for subsurface defects detection in thin composite structures using dynamic laser speckles is proposed. In this method, a laminated composite panel containing a subsurface defect is excited by a frequency scanned ultrasonic (US) wave and is illuminated by an expanded laser beam. If one of resonant frequencies of the defect coincides with the US frequency, a local area (a region of interest or ROI) of the panel optically rough surface, placed directly above the defect, begins to vibrate, and the sequences of difference speckle patterns containing the spatial response from the defect are recorded. The formation of this response is caused by both decorrelation and speckle blurring within the local speckle pattern generated by the vibrating ROI at its opposite tilts. The accumulation of difference speckle patterns increases the intensity of the spatial response. This method differs from similar ones in that defects are detected using dynamic speckle patterns of a composite rough surface, illuminated by a single expanded laser beam. The verification of the proposed method was performed using a hybrid optical-digital experimental breadboard to test composite panels containing artificial subsurface defects, as well as a real defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We presented a machine learning-based method to recognize suspension by distinguishing dispersoid-dependent speckle patterns using a convolutional neural network. The dispersoid size and concentration-related transmissive speckle patterns were recorded by a lensless camera when a coherent He-Ne laser irradiated the suspension. Firstly we realized the recognition of the polystyrene microspheres-dispersed suspensions with different particle sizes and the recognition of several common suspensions including protein powder and milk powder with similar concentration. Further recognition from three different food suspensions with unknown concentration was achieved with high accuracy of 99%. The experimental results confirm that this non-contact method could find applications in the measurement and classification of suspension liquid containing micrometers-sized particles.

Digital image correlation (DIC) is a powerful full-field displacement measurement technique that has been used in various studies. The first step in the DIC is to create a random speckle pattern, where the spraying method is usually employed. However, creating an optimal pattern and modification in the spraying method is not convenient. Furthermore, the size of speckles which is not so small in spraying method, limits the minimum size of the field of study. In the present research, a convenient novel technique was introduced and investigated to generate a practical kind of speckle pattern with small speckles for evaluating smaller fields of view using nanoparticles. The pattern was created by spreading a mixture of different black and white nanoparticles. To this end, the black graphene oxide particles were mixed with white nanoparticles of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide and silicon to obtain three mixtures. Displacement tests show that the mixture of graphene and titanium provides the best DIC performance. More granularly, graphene and titanium were mixed at three different ratios to find the optimal combination. Subsequently, the accuracy of the new patterning method was analyzed via tensile testing and the results were compared against those of conventional method with various subset sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present computer simulations of a two-way ANOVA gage R&R study to determine the effects on the average speckle width of intensity patterns caused by scattered light reflected from random rough surfaces with different statistical characteristics. We illustrate how to obtain reliable computer data that properly simulate experimental measurements by means of the Fresnel diffraction integral, which represents an accurate analytical model for calculating the propagation of spatially-limited coherent beams that have been phase-modulated after being reflected by the vertical profiles of the generated surfaces. For our description we use four differently generated vertical profiles and five different vertical randomly generated roughness values.

To improve the quality of ghost image, we propose an efficient computational ghost imaging method in this article. The primary idea is to estimate the noise value of the ghost image by analyzing and eliminating the source of the noise. The innovativeness of this work lies in analyzing a new means of noise by dissecting the qualitative relationship between transmittance in different objects and speckle patterns. While using a scale factor to describe the change of transmittance at different points of the object. The simulation and experimental results prove the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method through two parallel experiments. Compared to other methods, the peak signal-to-noise ratio and contrasts both have significantly increased.

The preparatory operations of DIC (Digital Image Correlation) tests were investigated in this study, with special emphasis on specimen cleaning and painting operations. As it is well known, DIC tests are non-contact and applied in materials research, the analysis of complex structures, and, nowadays, the construction industry. The use of DIC technologies has seen a dynamic increase in all scientific fields. In our study, aluminum body panels for automotive and railway applications were tested using this technique. There are many articles on proper patterning in the literature but fewer on preparation and priming. These are critical for a successful DIC measurement. This paper looks at different surface cleaners and primers with different grading procedures and will also determine the time window within which the paint should be applied. Finally, the GOM ARAMIS system was applied to measure and characterize the painted surface and visible deformation defects resulting from inadequate painting.

The article deals with DIC (Digital Image Correlation) tests on steel plates used in the automotive and railway industries, as well as in the construction industry. The most critical part of DIC tests is the quality of proper surface preparation, painting, and random patterns. The paint mediates the deformation of the optical systems, and its quality is paramount. The authors’ goal in this research is to determine the optimal dye–cleaning–drying time parameters for DIC studies. Commercially available surface preparation and cleaning agents were tested alongside commercially available spray paints. Standard and specific qualification procedures were applied for the measurements. Once the appropriate parameters were determined, the results were validated and qualified by GOM ARAMIS tests. Based on the results, DIC measurements can be performed with higher accuracy and safety in laboratorial and industrial conditions, compared to the traditional deformation measurements executed by dial gauges or linear variable differential transformers.

The purpose of this study is to develop novel speckle pattern techniques for digital image correlation (DIC) kinematic measurements of mechanical tests at high temperatures, typically from 400 to 700°C. In this context, the speckle pattern should not only meet morphological criteria (size, density, distance) in order to improve spatial resolution, but it should also present a high contrast and resist high temperature and strain levels. To find a speckle pattern matching these specifications, a comparison was performed on six types of speckle made using different techniques. First, a computer‐generated speckle pattern that meets DIC criteria was numerically designed to produce six types of speckle pattern. Next, the speckle patterns produced using these six techniques were compared in terms of speckle morphology, image quality and adherence to titanium alloy TA6V material at high temperatures. From 25 to 600°C, the speckle pattern made by the technique combining anodisation and laser engraving named M5 technique gave the best contrast (highest value of mean intensity gradient [MIG] and Shannon entropy value) and the adherence of 200% of strain measurements to the TA6V material. At 700°C, speckle image quality is considerably reduced due to oxidation of the titanium alloy, and this may not be suitable for DIC measurements. Only the speckles produced by painting in which the paint plays a protective role provide with a better speckle contrast compared with other techniques. However, these speckle patterns enable only a strain measurement of 22% by the DIC method. This article concludes with guidelines for producing a speckle pattern suitable for high‐temperature mechanical tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]