DNW Aero

Real-time tracking of payload drops in low-speed wind tunnel testing at DNW

2 Jun 2017

DNW has successfully developed a non-contact, accurate, reliable, non-intrusive measurement technique to precisely capture in real-time the dynamics and trajectory of objects during testing of wind tunnel models. In the above animation sample results of a helicopter model payload release are  shown, allowing the exploration of a safe separation envelope prior to actual flight.

The DNW stereo pattern recognition measurement technique (or close range photogrammetry) is based on multiple, synchronized, commercial off-the-shelf high-speed digital cameras accurately capturing three-dimensional coordinates of markers (at 500 Hz) applied on the object surface to reconstruct its shape, position and orientation.

The major advantages of this imaging technique are its flexibility, non-contact nature of the measurement and the ability to on-line analyze behavior of flexible / movable surfaces like helicopter rotor blades, wing deflection and twist and rigid body motion (payload trajectory and model position and attitude), all of which are capabilities being offered by DNW to its customers.