LiDAR scan and smart piezo layer combined damage detection

The motivation of this study is to determine a technique to completely describe the damage state of large deformed structures commonly found during forensic investigations. The combination of Laser Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) and Piezoelectric (PZT) Sensing Technologies for damage quantification is suggested to generate the full-field description of large deformation of a plate. The test subject is a 16 inch by 16 inch aluminum plate subjected to different damage scenarios. LiDAR is a static scanning laser that provides a 3-dimensional picture of the object. Smart Layer is a commercial PZT actuator/sensor network system that generates stress waves for internal damage evaluation. Both techniques were applied to the test plate after damages are introduced. In order to effectively analyze the results, the images for each test were superimposed. Frequencies that depicted the best interpretation of damage in the direct path images were superimposed with the 3-dimensional LiDAR images. Four damage scenarios were imposed on an aluminum plate including saw cuts at different depths using an electric saw. The final damage is a severe bending of the plate. The bending of the specimen produced an image that located the most severe damage directly under the left hand portion and directly above the right hand portion of the bend.