Research on high-precision digital image correlation measurement techniques for highly stable structures

This study proposes a novel digital image processing system that combines a diffraction-limited resolution (DLRF)-based measurement technique with a windowed form-center tracking algorithm. To evaluate the accuracy of this system, this paper compares and analyzes the effectiveness of conventional digital image techniques and DLRF-based methods for deformation displacement measurements. In addition, the study includes thermal stability tests under ambient noise and uniform high temperature conditions to evaluate the stability performance of the system in a complex environment. The experimental results show that the DLRF-based digital image correlation method proposed in this study performs well in reducing the mean deviation (from a maximum of 5.17 × 10-3 to 1.73 × 10-3) and root-mean-square error (from a maximum of 5.14 × 10-3 to 0.75 × 10-3). It is worth noting that the DLRF method is faster in processing when using the single-precision format than the double-precision format, with a speedup of up to 1.05 times. In addition, the multiple displacement averaging processing method can effectively filter the noise in the test, and the noise effect is only in the range of 0 to 2 μm in most areas. In the analysis of test points 10-34 and 57-80, the displacement error is controlled within 5 μm, indicating that the modified structural analysis model can be used for on-orbit micrometer-scale thermal deformation analysis. The study proves the high accuracy and stability of the digital image system proposed in this paper in the measurement of deformation displacement, which provides adequate technical support for accurate measurement in related fields. © 2023 Fenglong Yang and Bing Pan, published by Sciendo.