Laser-induced-fluorescence photogrammetry for dynamic characterization of membrane structures

Photogrammetry has proven to be a valuable tool for static and dynamic profiling of membrane-based inflatable and ultralightweight space structures. However, the traditional photogrammetric targeting techniques used for solid structures, such as attached retroreflective targets and white-light dot projection, have some disadvantages and are not ideally suited for measuring highly transparent or reflective membrane structures. In this paper, we describe a new laser-induced-fluorescence-based target generation technique that is more suitable for these types of structures. We also present several examples of noncontact noninvasive photogrammetric measurements of laser-dye doped polymer membranes, including the dynamic measurement and modal analysis of a 1 m X 1 m aluminized membrane.