Patent ID: 7784348

Claim:
An ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation (NDE) system operable to inspect target materials, the system comprising: an articulated robot having an arm with a series of arm members connected to each other by rotary joints, the robot being operably mounted on a platform; an ultrasound inspection head coupled to a distal one of the arm members; collection optics mounted on the inspection head; a fiber-laser-based generation laser source remotely located from the inspection head; a generation laser head mounted on the inspection head and coupled to the generation laser source by an optical fiber for directing a generation laser beam selectively to the target materials from the ultrasound inspection head, so that when the generation laser beam contacts the target materials, ultrasonic displacements are formed thereon, the optical fiber for the generation laser beam extending through at least some of the joints; a fiber-laser-based detection laser source remotely located from the inspection head; a detection laser head mounted on the inspection head and coupled to the detection laser source by an optical fiber for directing a detection laser beam selectively to the target materials, so that when the detection laser beam contacts the ultrasonic displacements formed on the target materials, the detection laser beam is scattered to produce phase modulated light that is reflected to the collection optics, the optical fiber for the detection laser beam extending through at least some of the joints; and a processing module remotely located from the inspection head and coupled to the collection optics by an optical fiber, the processing module being operable to process the phase modulated light and produce information about the internal structure of the target materials, the optical fiber for the processing module extending through at least some of the joints; and a control module operable to direct the arms to position the ultrasound inspection head adjacent but spaced from the target materials according to a scan plan.