Airborne Bathymetry LIDAR chassis

FEA animation of the lowest resonance mode (~50 Hz) in a custom optomechanical chassis. Crashworthiness demands no parts shedded after 18g impact in any direction. The project also included all optics holders and alignment stages.

Laser, radiometry, and imaging systems

Design for a laser interferometer with zoom for variable working distance; first calibration and check of a ultra high precision volumetric imaging camera; radiometric goniometer for evaluating reflectance of materials; ultra-high accuracy doppler velocimeter with frequency shifting.

Isolation platform for wavefront sensor

First road test of an isolation platform for an optical wavefront sensor intended to perform atmospheric turbulence measurements in remote areas.

Wind tunnel models

Model of a blended wing-body aircraft for wind tunnel testing, including extensive compressed air plumbing, adjustable flaps, and interchangeable leading and trailing edges.

9000 fps Schlieren imaging system

6" clear aperture Schlieren system displaying the flow inside a fluidic oscillator running with supersonic output.

Components and complete systems

6-DOF adjuster for an off-axis parabola, including flexure tip/tilt/clock; cable drive for ultra fast, repeatable motion in a large mirror gimbal; 3D flow measurement camera; ultra-compact microscope XY stage enabled by perpendicular rack-and-pinion drives.

Software for data, calibration, and automation

A revamp of a 10-year-old underutilized research facility included data acquisition software and fully unattended tunnel operation, enabling hundreds of hours of testing on a scale model which eventually led to flight test.

Lift/drag force balance

Submersible two-component force balance built from off-the-shelf load cells, with calibration rig and acquisition software, used for erosion research.