Automated inspection of foreign materials, cracks and other surface anomalies

1. A method for inspecting a workpiece, comprising:

outputting a patterned first light onto a first section of the workpiece using an illumination source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), wherein each LED of the plurality of LEDs is individually controllable with respect to light intensity;

while outputting the patterned first light onto the first section of the workpiece, imaging light reflected from the first section of the workpiece to generate a first output;

outputting a second light onto a second section of the workpiece that is not illuminated by the illumination source;

while outputting the second light onto the second section of the workpiece, imaging light reflected from the second section of the workpiece to generate a second output;

comparing the first output to the second output; and

based on the comparing, outputting a patterned third light onto the first section of the workpiece by changing at least one of a hue, a saturation, and a color output by the plurality of LEDs, wherein the outputting of the patterned third light camouflages a background of the first section of the workpiece.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first section of the workpiece comprises a defect or anomaly; and

the outputting of the patterned third light eases detection of the defect or anomaly by camouflaging the background of the first section of the workpiece.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first section of the workpiece comprises a carbon composite ply and the defect or anomaly comprises a carbon fiber.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the illumination source comprises a plurality of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) as illumination elements; and

each OLED of the plurality of OLEDs is individually controllable with respect to light intensity.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outputting of the second light includes outputting a white light onto the second section of the workpiece.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

during the outputting of the patterned third light onto the first section of the workpiece, detecting one or more defects or anomalies on or within the workpiece;

positioning a pressure conveying system relative to the one or more defects or anomalies; and

activating the pressure conveying system to dislodge the one or more defects or anomalies from the workpiece.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the activating of the pressure conveying system comprises at least one of activating a blower to output a stream of air to dislodge the one or more defects or anomalies and activating a vacuum to apply a vacuum force to the one or more defects or anomalies.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of LEDs comprises a plurality of organic LEDs (OLEDs) and the method further comprises individually controlling at least one of a hue, a saturation, and a color of each OLED of the plurality of OLEDs to output the third patterned light.

9. An inspection system, comprising:

a first illumination source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to output a patterned first light and to illuminate a first section of a workpiece with the patterned first light;

a feedback camera configured to image reflected patterned first light that is reflected from the first section of the workpiece, and to generate a first output;

a second illumination source configured to output a second light and to illuminate a second section of the workpiece with the second light;

a background camera configured to image reflected second light that is reflected from the second section of the workpiece and to generate a second output; and

a controller coupled to the first illumination source, the feedback camera, and the background camera, wherein the controller is configured to:

compare the first output to the second output; and

camouflage the background of the first section of the workpiece by changing at least one of a hue, a saturation, and a color output by the plurality of LEDs based on the comparing of the first output to the second output.

10. The inspection system of claim 9 , wherein:

the first section of the workpiece comprises a defect or anomaly; and

the controller is further configured to increase a contrast of the defect or anomaly compared to the background by the camouflaging of the background.

11. The inspection system of claim 10 , wherein the first section of the workpiece comprises a carbon composite ply and the defect or anomaly comprises a carbon fiber.

12. The inspection system of claim 9 , wherein:

the illumination source comprises at least one million organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) as illumination elements; and

each OLED of the plurality of OLEDs is individually controllable with respect to light intensity.

13. The inspection system of claim 12 , wherein each OLED is configured to output an intensity of at least 1000 lux and to have a luminous efficiency of at least 100 lumens per Watt.

14. The inspection system of claim 9 , wherein the second illumination source is configured to output a white light onto the second section of the workpiece.

15. The inspection system of claim 9 , further comprising a pressure conveying system configured to activate and dislodge one or more surface defects or anomalies from a surface of the first section of the workpiece.

16. The inspection system of claim 15 , the pressure conveying system comprises at least one of a blower configured to output a stream of air to dislodge the one or more surface defects or anomalies or a vacuum to apply a vacuum force to the one or more defects or anomalies.

17. The inspection system of claim 9 , further comprising an inspection camera configured to image the reflected patterned first light that is reflected from the first section of the workpiece and to generate a third output, wherein the controller is further configured to analyze data from the third output to detect one or more defects or anomalies in the first section of the workpiece.

18. The inspection system of claim 9 , further comprising a visual display for displaying data obtained from the first output generated by the feedback camera, wherein the visual display is configured to display an image of one or more defects or anomalies located in the first section of the workpiece imaged by the feedback camera for review by an operator.

19. An aircraft manufacturing line, comprising:

a composite layup system configured to deposit carbon composite plies of a composite aircraft subassembly onto a working surface; and

an inspection system for inspecting the carbon composite plies during a layup process, the inspection system comprising:

a first illumination source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to output a patterned first light and to illuminate a first section of the carbon composite plies with the patterned first light;

a feedback camera configured to image reflected patterned first light that is reflected from the first section of the carbon composite plies, and to generate a first output;

a second illumination source configured to output a second light and to illuminate a second section of the carbon composite plies with the second light;

a background camera configured to image reflected second light that is reflected from the second section of the carbon composite plies and to generate a second output;

a controller coupled to the first illumination source, the feedback camera, and the background camera, wherein the controller is configured to:

compare the first output to the second output; and

camouflage the background of the first section of the carbon composite plies by changing at least one of a hue, a saturation, and a color output by the plurality of LEDs based on the comparing of the first output to the second output.

20. The aircraft manufacturing line of claim 19 , wherein:

the first section of the carbon composite plies comprises a defect or anomaly;

the defect or anomaly is at least one of a stray composite, a bagging material, a braiding material, or a tape; and

the controller is further configured to increase a contrast of the defect or anomaly compared to the background by the camouflaging of the background.