A new self-calibrated procedure for impact detection and location on flat surfaces

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Acoustics
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Acoustic signal processing is crucial for structural monitoring.
• Accurate impact detection and location rely on known sound speed, which is often challenging due to material properties and wave overlaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a generalized method for impact detection and location on flat plates.
• To introduce a calibration procedure for determining sound speed from single measurements.
• To address the challenge of unknown or variable sound propagation speeds.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing arrival times of acoustic signals from strategically placed transducers.
• Developing a generalized method applicable to flat plate structures.
• Implementing a calibration procedure to derive sound speed.
• Employing piezoelectric sensors for signal acquisition.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a method for impact detection and location on a metallic flat plate.
• Showed that a generalized approach can determine impact position and time.
• Indicated that additional sensors enhance detection area and aid in sound speed estimation.
• Presented experimental validation using a robotic impact system.

Conclusions:

• The generalized method enables accurate impact detection and location on flat plates.
• The proposed calibration procedure effectively determines sound speed.
• The technique offers improvements over traditional methods, especially when sound speed is uncertain.