A revolutionary new lightweight aerospace structures testing and analysis capability was recently unveiled at AFIT. Dynamic In-flight Tracking and Measurement (DITM) technology will revolutionize studies of the behavior of lightweight aerospace structures, including large deployable or inflatable space structures; inflatable, flexible, or morphable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or micro air vehicle (MAV) wings; rotor dynamics of MAV helicopters; and tracking, control, and autonomous navigation and rendezvous of UAVs and spacecraft, among others. DITM uniquely enables real-time vibration measurements of test articles in flight, whereas current technology requires the vehicle to be fixed to a test stand.

The new DITM technology uses synchronized video cameras to triangulate the real-time three-dimensional position of a lightweight aerospace structure in motion, such as a MAV in flight. This position data is then used to track a high-frequency, high-resolution measurement laser onto points of interest on the MAV such as its thin membrane wings as it flies around the lab. The resulting unique data consists of both the full-field 3D position of the entire object and high-resolution, high-frequency data of specific points of interest. DITM technology contributes to current Air Force research efforts by allowing for temporal and spectral visualization and accurate analysis of lightweight aerospace structures in motion.

The dynamic in-flight tracking and measurement technology is also being expanded to provide another revolutionary new type of data. This new approach is fundamentally different from the existing structural characterization optical techniques that rely on static instrumentation: instead of using fixed cameras to image structural dynamic motion, the new approach will use multiple synchronized cameras that will zoom-in on a particular region of interest on the test article and dynamically slew, focus, and calibrate to track it as it moves in real-time. The final product will be an unprecedented measurement technique that tracks in real-time the three-dimensional position and shape of a vehicle in motion and simultaneously generates high-resolution three-dimensional surface profiles of specific regions of interest. This pioneering approach will enable the tracking and control of the shape of a membrane MAV wing in flight or a hinge on a lightweight truss as it deploys or slews in space, and it will facilitate fundamental scientific investigation of these and other advanced lightweight aerospace structures essential for current and future Air Force missions.

For more information, please contact Dr. Jon Black, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (jonathan.black@afit.edu, 937-255-3636 x4578).