Laser Ultrasound Noncontact Seismic System

The U.S. Air Force urgently needs rapid nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technology to determine the load-carrying capacity of runways for various aircraft operations. Therefore, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to complete the development of a novel Laser Ultrasound Noncontact Seismic (LUNS) system conducting seismic analysis of runway pavement without any mechanical contact between measuring devices and the runway surface. This is achieved by an innovative POC design based on remote interaction with the pavement: seismic waves are induced in pavement by short powerful laser pulses with a controllable pulse repetition rate, and arrival times of different seismic waves are recorded, also optically, with a laser vibrometer. Based on the positive results obtained in Phase I with the laboratory LUNS prototype, POC will develop in Phase II an optimized prototype mounted on a robotic platform, that can autonomously inspect an airfield.