For NVH engineers, acoustics researchers, industrial monitoring teams, and building security specialists, the challenge of measuring vibration and sound has always been one of trade-offs.
Traditional tools, such as accelerometers, microphones, and strain gauges, can provide valuable point data, but they are:
- Intrusive
- Time-consuming to install
- And often alter the dynamics they are meant to observe
In high-stakes environments such as aerospace structural testing or transformer monitoring, those limitations introduce risk, cost, and uncertainty.
This is where non-contact sensing, and specifically Laser RADAR combined with optical vibrometry, is helping to redefine the field we work in.
This article explores how laser-based remote sound sensing works, why it matters, and how organisations are using Ommatidia LiDAR’s Q2 Laser RADAR platform.
Why Non-Contact Vibrometry Matters
Traditional accelerometer or microphone-based methods face three critical issues: Using interferometry and FMCW LiDAR principles, the Q2 measures displacement, vibration, and acoustic signatures remotely. This approach improves accuracy and enables large-scale surveys that are impractical with conventional sensors.
Technical Specifications: What the Q2 Delivers
Vibration maps for detected peak frequencies
The Q2 Laser RADAR is designed for applications that demand precision and scalability.
It integrates high-accuracy 3D metrology with advanced vibration sensing to replace multiple instruments with a versatile platform.
Key specifications include:
- Range: Up to 50 meters, supporting remote inspection of large assets.
- Accuracy: Tens of microns, ensuring metrology-grade results.
- Speed: Captures 25,600 points per second, delivering dense point clouds in real time.
- Dynamic Sensing: Records vibration data across 65 points simultaneously, supporting advanced modal analysis and NVH workflows.
- Micro-Scanning Elevation: Reveals fine structural details, ideal for aerospace panels, automotive components, or building façades.
- Noise Reduction: Advanced Doppler vibrometry filters allow precise measurements in acoustically complex environments.
The Q2 also integrates seamlessly with Industry 4.0 architectures, offering autofocus, angular scanning, and an RGB camera for intuitive programming and visualization.
Learn More About the Q2 Laser RADAR →
Where the Q2 Laser Radar Makes an Impact
The Q2 Laser RADAR addresses a wide range of technical use cases:
- NVH Engineering and Modal Analysis
Full-field vibration maps reveal resonance, damping, and aeroelastic effects in automotive and aerospace structures without mass loading.
- Industrial Monitoring and Preventive Maintenance
In rotating machinery, transformers, or production lines, the Q2 delivers remote monitoring (without downtime) and supports early fault detection.
- Building Acoustics and Environmental Monitoring
Researchers studying façade vibration, traffic-induced noise, or barrier performance access full-field acoustic behavior without microphone arrays.
- Security and Defense
Remote sound sensing provides standoff monitoring capabilities for high-security facilities, enabling vibration and acoustic analysis.
Q2 Laser Radar enables NDT capturing of high-resolution vibrometry data
These examples highlight how the Q2 Laser RADAR provides non-intrusive, scalable, and high-resolution insights. Explore More Applications Here → Q2 Laser Radar reveals vibrations on the aluminum aircraft part in real timeField-Tested Performance
Transformer and Substation NVH
Building Acoustics and Façade Surveys
Looking Ahead: The Future of Laser RADAR
The future of remote sound sensing will be defined by three advances:
- Laser metrology for sub-micron precision across large structures
- Quantum-limit radar to detect weaker vibration and acoustic signals
- AI-driven analysis to automate mode identification & speed interpretation
With improvements in FMCW LiDAR and real-time point cloud processing, combined with vibrometry algorithms, systems like the Q2 will deliver richer datasets, faster test cycles, and greater sensitivity.
This makes Laser RADAR a core tool for NVH, acoustics, and structural monitoring.
Final Thoughts
For teams responsible for vibration testing, modal analysis, structural health monitoring, or building acoustics, the Q2 Laser RADAR represents a change in capability.
By unifying optical vibrometry with high-speed laser radar scanning, it delivers the precision and efficiency needed for today’s most demanding projects.
To learn more about demonstrations, on-site trials, or integration with your current metrology and analysis workflows, contact our experts at Ommatidia LiDAR.
Visit ommatidia-lidar.com or email sales@ommatidia-lidar.com.
