Quantifying Attractor Morphing for High-Sensitivity Detection of Parameter Variations by Point Cloud Averaging
A novel method of damage detection for systems exhibiting chaotic dynamics is presented. The algorithm reconstructs variations of system parameters without the need for explicit system equations of motion, or knowledge of the nominal parameter values. The concept of a Sensitivity Vector Field (SVF) is developed. This construct captures geometrical deformations of the dynamical attractor of the system in state space. These fields are collected by the means of Point Cloud Averaging (PCA) applied to discrete time series data from the system under healthy (nominal parameter values) and damaged (variations of the parameters) conditions. Test variations are reconstructed from an optimal basis of the SVF snapshots which is generated by means of proper orthogonal decomposition. The method is applied to two system models, a magneto-elastic oscillator and an atomic force microscope. The method is shown to be highly accurate, and capable of identifying multiple simultaneous variations. The success of the method as applied to an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a magneto-elastic oscillator (MEO) indicates a potential for highly accurate sample readings by exploiting recently observed chaotic vibrations.