Enhance: Optical Vibration Analysis

Enhance is our software used to analyse and magnify movement and vibrations in videos. The software will be available on various platforms and will be adjustable to your industry needs.

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The advantages

Apart from our software, all you need is a video of the object to be measured – all in all a fast, inexpensive and contactless multi-point measurement in two dimensions.
We offer the possibility to process movements in videos that are not visible to the naked eye. The movements are then amplified in the video making them recognizable. Thus, eigenmodes can be analyzed, unnatural oscillations and movements can be localized quickly. For periodic movements it is possible to filter and amplify only those with a frequency relevant for the current observation.

In addition, our software can measure the movement at any point in the video, provided the part to be measured has sufficient contrast. Objects can be analyzed in scenarios that would not have been possible before. Images of objects in extreme heat/cold and radiation chambers or, for example, in space itself can be analyzed. The maximum frequency to be analyzed is half the camera frame rate. With our experience in digital photography, computer vision and image processing, we can help with finding the best camera and hardware for a specific use case.

Specifications

Magnification: Enhance enables the amplification of movements in videos. This makes it possible to visualize vibrations in the micrometer range directly in the video in order to detect dependencies and identify new problem areas, without any complex wiring.

Analysis: Enhance extends conventional vibration and motion analysis methods or can replace them completely depending on your use case. Instead of acceleration sensors or laser-based methods, we rely on video cameras. This makes it possible to measure many inspection points accurately down to a fraction of a millimeter, which would not have been accessible before. Each pixel thus functions as its own sensor, allowing a holistic analysis of all movements occurring in the video. All measurement data can be displayed in Enhance and exported if required.

Pricing

For pricing, please get in contact with us, so we can learn more about the needs of your company.

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FAQ

General

On which platforms can I use Enhance?

We plan to release Enhance 2.0 as a cross-platform application (Windows and Mac, mobile versions to follow). Enhance 1.0 is currently only available for Windows.

Do I need special hardware?

You can load any existing video into our software. The more frames per second the video has, the more processing power and RAM you need to work fluently.

If you are recording the videos yourself, you need to pay attention to the frequencies you want to measure. The capture frame rate must be 2 times the frequency that should be captured (Nyquist-theorem).

Do you also rent equipment and software?

Unfortunately, our currently available range of cameras does not allow for renting the cameras themselves. However, we do offer on-site service. Please contact us. We are working on a cooperation with different manufacturers.

Does the system work in real time?

Magnifying & measuring motion in real-time is planned for a future version. Given the right hardware, already acquired videos can be magnified without extra processing time.

Measurement

What can be measured?

Basically, every kind of vibration can be measured as long as there’s sufficient contrast on the object.

What frequencies can be measured?

The frequencies to be measured are dependent on the framerate with which the video footage is recorded. The capture frame rate must be at least 2 times the frequency that should be captured (Nyquist-theorem). If tests are performed with a logarithmic sine sweep, around 1 octave per minute is advised.

How large/small can the movements be?

This is dependent on the camera resolution and the framing. Logically, this differs from whether you want to film a building or use a microscope output. We use sub-pixel movements to calculate the values. For example, capturing an object with 50cm length and a resolution of 1600px in its direction, we are able to detect displacements up to 0.04mm.

Can I use the system for long term measurements?

It is possible to process long videos with the software. However, we do not currently offer real-time processing (see above), but we have been planning to implement this for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.

What is the advantage over laser measurement?

Cheaper measurement equipment, multi-point measurement and better suited for sine sweeps.

How many dimensions can be measured?

Currently, 2 dimensions can be captured (X and Y in camera space). With a second camera, 3 dimensions can be measured but this feature is still in development.

Recording

What do I need to consider when recording?

First, the camera settings and the lighting setup. The scene should be well lit and the light frequency should not interfere with the recording rate of the camera. In addition, the recording rate (FPS) should be at least twice the frequency of the vibration to be measured.

Second, the object to be measured should have sufficient contrast (e.g. a textured surface). If this is not the case, a color spray or markers (see below) can be used to help. Surfaces without sufficient contrast cannot be tracked.

Are markers available? (e.g. for contrast and calibration?)

Specific markers can be developed for contrast optimization and calibration, dependent on your use-case. We will gladly inform you about the current status.