CASE STUDY – Camera, lens, and housing in a very constrained space and hostile environment with distortion-free wide-angle images

Problem:

Light, compact, and rugged camera with IP67 and distortion-free wide angle.

An aerospace manufacturer with a legacy extending back to the early days of aviation was developing a new aircraft for which they needed to observe visible stress on the main wing during flight.

The requirement was for a compact, lightweight, low-power (low SWaP) camera in a ruggedized industrial housing that would fit unobtrusively into the aircraft body without disturbing airframe, flight control, or other test equipment. A major constraint was the working distance from the camera mount point such that both wing tips were within the field of view (FoV), without darkening, blurring, or fish-eye distortion at the edges of the frame. Furthermore, camera, lens and cabling were to fit into a waterproof enclosure.

To ensure the structural integrity and safety of an airplane wing, engineers employ various design techniques, such as using strong and lightweight materials (e.g., aluminum alloys, composites), reinforcing structures (e.g., spars, ribs), and employing aerodynamic shapes that distribute the loads more efficiently. Additionally, regular inspections, maintenance, and stress analysis are conducted to identify any structural issues or fatigue that may develop over time and ensure the continued airworthiness of the wing. 

This is where physical observation using  Kaya Instruments  cameras and frame grabbers helps engineers with such issues.

Solution:

Sky Blue Microsystems GmbH identified the Kaya Instruments "Iron" 253 camera with SDI interface with GPIO control via a HiRose cable, a Cinegon lens, and an Orca IP67 enclosure. With up to 68fps and 12MP, the Iron 253 is a high speed, low cost , low-power, global shutter CMOS camera with either CXP 2.0 CoaXPress 12G, HD-SDI 12G, or Fibre 10G interfaces to suit any highly demanding application in areas such as aerospace, perimeter vision, military and defence, low light, surveillance, special effects, and VR. 

The Kaya Iron 253 captures high quality video at 2K, 4K, or more, at rates between 60 and 400 frames per second, and transfers data using the CoaXPress standard at 12 Gbps and the corresponding SDI-12, or CoaXPress Over Fiber. 

For  more information visit our website www.skyblue.de or call us to discuss your machine vision requirements.