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NIA SSEPD 0004: Ultrapole

Key activities

The aim of this project is to leverage recent Acuity advances in ultrasonic analysis to tackle the problem of scanning whole wooden electricity poles, by exploiting the acoustic propagation properties exhibited by a material like pine wood. These properties mean that, in theory, long pole lengths can be scanned very rapidly for the presence of ‘acoustic anomalies’ such as the presence of rot in the pole.

Expected outcomes

The project aims to successfully demonstrate the ability of the underlying physics and build a prototype that is able to detect a change in wood condition.

Funding

NIA £45,000

Start/end date

2015 – 2016

Project Manager

Colin Mathieson