Development of a small-scale testing machine for use with interferometric monitoring methods

Material testing procedures are increasingly using image-based methods for strain field measurements, with extensive usage of Digital Image Correlation in particular. Nonetheless, there is interest in extending this use to other image-based interferometric methods with increased resolution, such as Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI) and Shearography. In particular, ESPI requires very stable conditions for measurement, usually achieved by assembly on an optical table.