Radome Diagnostic System

Adaptive Radome Diagnostic System equipment set-up in laboratory

The Adaptive Radome Diagnostic System (ARDS) is a robotic device for scanning aircraft radomes with CTG’s AMMP sensor. It utilizes a collaborative robot to move the spot probe over the radome surface, which maps the microwave reflectivity. The measured data then can determine radome layer thicknesses and identify defects within the radome structure. The collected data can also determine the overall radome performance metrics through specialized ray-trace software called ROPE (Radome Operational Performance Evaluation).

Applications of the ARDS:

  • The Adaptive Radome Diagnostic System (ARDS) can be used for quality assurance (QA) measurements on newly manufactured radomes or for inspection of radomes being refurbished in the depot. The system provides diagnostic information about a radome’s performance and identifies potential defect areas that may need repair. Example of how the ARDS is used include:
    • Characterizing F-15 nosecone radomes for the U.S. Air Force.
    • Adaptation to non-military aircraft.

Benefits of the ARDS:

  • Combines CTG’s spot probe technology with a collaborative robot to operate in a high-tempo aircraft repair facility/depot
  • Uses free-space measurement methods with a high degree of ruggedization and automation.

Additional Information:

  • AMMP sensor (e.g. SP218) with integrated vector network analyzer (VNA) mounted as end of arm tooling.
  • Collaborative Industrial Robot (e.g. Fanuc CRX series).
  • Mobile platform for positioning and/or clamping onto the radome fixture.
  • Laser distance sensor for surface mapping and automated path adjustment.
  • Safety sensors, laser radars, etc. for proximity sensing and warning indication.
  • Optional rotisserie cart for automated radome rotation or repositioning.
  • Human Machine Interface (HMI) and customized software for calibrating and operating the system, including patented algorithms for processing the microwave spectra into useful diagnostic information.
  • Optional ROPE software for calculating radome performance metrics (beam deflection error, transmission efficiency, etc.) from the microwave map data.