Design and applications of a high-speed Doppler imaging vibrometer

Abstract

We describe a unique high-speed Doppler imaging vibrometer configured for rapid full-field measurement of arbitrary solid body vibrations without temporal or spatial measurement multiplexing. The instrument design employs a staring 16×16 measurement beam matrix and passive fiber-optic focal plane array, remotely coupled to distributed parallel receivers and digital processors. High-speed data captured by the instrument indicate the rich dynamic complexity to be found even in comparatively simple coupled mechanical systems with transient features that are otherwise difficult to observe. The system provides a new tool for instantaneous non-contact full-field vibration measurement of structural dynamics, including, but not limited to, transient or non-repeatable phenomenon.