An active imaging digital image correlation method for deformation measurement insensitive to ambient light

Abstract Varying ambient light may cause serious decorrelation effect in the images recorded using an ordinary optical imaging device, which prevent digital image correlation (DIC) from out-of-laboratory use. In this paper, we describe an easy-to-implement yet effective monochromatic light illuminated active imaging DIC method for obtaining high-quality images suitable for high fidelity deformation measurement. Experiments reveal that the active imaging DIC method is able to provide reliable and accurate measurements even though the ambient light has been seriously changed. The active imaging DIC method is promising for developing flexible and robust in situ deformation measurement systems for use in both laboratory and non-laboratory environment, and should therefore have more potential engineering applications.