Jerry Reubon Varner

Holographic Contouring: Alternatives And Applications

A great deal of research has been reported in the past five years on the applications of holographic interferometry to the nondestructive testing of materials and products. The majority of this research has been concerned with measuring either the objects surface displacements or its internal refractive index changes (or both). Relatively few researchers have pursued the fact that, in addition to measuring such changes in the object, holographic interferom-etry can be used to produce a contour map of the objects shape. The lack of interest shown to holographic contouring is easily explained by the relative lack of practical applications.