Single-pixel real-time monitoring system for a high-speed rotating object

High-speed rotating objects are widely seen in various fields, and online inspection of these objects is of great importance. In this Letter, we propose a single-pixel monitoring system for high-speed rotating objects. The system is able to detect the rotation speed and capture images of the target rotating object in real time. By exploiting the periodicity of the object’s rotation, we are able to convert the rotating object imaging problem into a stationary object imaging problem. We propose using a rotation sensing module, with which synchronized structured illumination is generated to keep the target object relatively stationary to our system. As a result, imaging of a rotating object can be achieved using a single-pixel detector without any prior knowledge of the object. As experimentally demonstrated, the proposed system can successfully detect the rotation speed in real time and capture clear images of a rotating object in operation, whose rotation speed is ∼14,700 rounds per minute (rpm). We believe the proposed method can be used for online inspection of potential issues for high-speed rotating objects in various fields.