RDI technology measures strain, displacement and vibration within frequency bands the human eye cannot see.
The system combines advanced camera imaging with image-processing software and a smart algorithm that
amplifies subtle motion and vibration in recorded video.
This approach turns every pixel in the camera’s field of view into a vibration probe capable of measuring vibration,
displacement or physical motion with high accuracy. The user can extract a time waveform and an
FFT spectrum for the motion at any point in the image and read vibration levels from any pixel on screen.
The result is a visual presentation of motion that clarifies the kinematics of a machine, structure or process and
helps pinpoint the source of displacement or vibration. In this way it becomes easier to understand the physical
relationships between components that contribute to vibration (mechanical looseness, resonance, process issues,
structural design problems and more).
Why is visual illustration so important?
“A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Visual evidence is critical for human understanding. A clear visualization of a fault in a machine, structure or
process enables rapid comprehension and decision-making, including for cross-functional leadership teams.
Failure investigations can use many data sources accelerometers, protection systems and permanent vibration
monitors, strain gauges, finite element models and more. Yet only a visual illustration of the problem highlights
both the symptom and its source with maximum clarity. Traditionally, understanding mechanical, structural or process
issues required extensive data collection, complex analysis and sometimes shutting down the asset to acquire data.
With RDI’s Motion Amplification, the entire workflow can be completed quickly, while the machine or process remains
in normal operation and without installing sensors on the asset. The output is a clear, intuitive video that shows
the source and severity of the issue and the focused actions required to resolve it. Together, these advantages
enable faster, more active failure investigations that reduce effort and cost and shorten the time from detection to
decision.