Vibrational dynamics of a Morane Saulnier MS.760 Paris Aircraft Wing
Q2 Laser Radar System, for Aviation Applications
Ommatidia LiDAR Q2 Laser Doppler vibrometer, FMCW
Ground Vibration Testing (GVT) and Maintenance, and Repair and Operation (MRO) activities are essential processes in the lifecycle of an aircraft. Accurate modal identification and structural validation are required to ensure airworthiness, support structural modifications, and detect early stage damage. Traditional approaches rely heavily on large accelerometer arrays, complex cabling, and extended setup times, which increase operational cost and limit measurement density >>> Unlike conventional sensor based systems, Q2 requires no accelerometer installation, eliminating mass loading effects, cabling and significantly reducing preparation time.
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A dedicated photonic integrated circuit (PICs), analyzes multiple optical channels in parallel, enabling the simultaneous 3D measurement of vibrations and displacements.
Laser Beams
The equipment used is Ommatidia LiDAR Q2 Laser Doppler vibrometer, based on FMCW Laser RADAR Technology (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave).
The Q2 has two operating modes:
Laser Doppler vibrometer mode: measures the velocity or displacement of a surface without contact.
Metrology mode: measures the distance to the sensor and generates a point cloud.
During the same acquisition process, Ommatidia´s LiDAR Q2 collects, both: 3D vibrometry and high-resolution metrology data.
This system features multichannel coherent detection, consisting of 65 simultaneous laser beams for signal acquisition.
Hours, Total time
With the Q2 a single operator performs comprehensive 3D vibration measurements across aircraft structures including wing tips, wing roots, fuselage, auxiliary power units, fuselage sections, and structural junctions.
The integrated RGB camera supports visual referencing of scanned areas, while autofocus and microscan capabilities ensure precise surface targeting and optimal signal quality. Automated focusing and scanning procedures reduce operator dependency and increase repeatability.
A typical full measurement campaign involving multiple aircraft positions can be completed in approximately eight acquisitions of fifteen minutes each, corresponding to roughly four hours, of total time around the aircraft.
Unit: full GVT coverage
A complete GVT campaign can be performed by repositioning a single Q2 unit at multiple locations around the aircraft.
The movable tripod configuration allows rapid relocation while maintaining metrology-grade accuracy.
The lightweight equipment design requires no time-consuming installation beyond tripod deployment, enabling streamlined operation in hangar environments.
All this allowed, thanks to the ultra-fast acquisition: between 65 and 25,600 points per second over a 360° sweep.
And, the Multi-point vibrometry: sampling at 40 kHz across 65 simultaneous points, with a velocity range of ±15.5 mm/s.
