Q1S Laser RADAR for fixed structural monitoring
Ommatidia Q1S is a fixed, non-contact Laser RADAR system for structural monitoring. Its 128 parallel channels capture a geometry-aware view of vibration, short-term deflection, and long-term displacement—without placing sensors across the structure.
Use the data to plan inspections, prioritise maintenance, and track how an asset behaves over time.
128 parallel channels for vibration, deflection, strain analysis, and long-term displacement monitoring from one fixed system.
Monitor the structure, not a handful of instrumented points
Choose Q1S when you need repeatable evidence from a fixed position and cannot—or should not—cover the asset in conventional sensors. It is built for large, difficult-to-access structures and long-term monitoring programmes.
Bridges and transport assets
Capture operational vibration and deflection behaviour without closing lanes or distributing sensors across the span.
Buildings and complex structures
Understand how wind, traffic, occupancy, or seismic events affect structural response and resilience.
Tunnels, dams, and water infrastructure
Track movement and dynamic response where installation is difficult, disruptive, or not appropriate for the asset.
Vibration now. Displacement over time.
Q1S pairs high-rate vibrometry for operational modal analysis with absolute interferometric displacement measurement for long-term surveys. From one fixed position, you can see how a structure responds in the moment and how it changes over time.
- Vibration and deflection curves with sub-micron noise levels
- 40 kHz vibrometry sampling for dynamic response
- Absolute interferometry for long-term structural displacement
Evidence that moves maintenance forward
Operational modal insight
See resonance frequencies and mode shapes from ambient or operational vibration.
Displacement trends
Separate short-term load response from longer-term movement, so the next inspection starts with the right question.
Digital-twin-ready context
Bring geometry, vibration, and other sensor data together in a model your team can use.
Bridge strain starts with the deflection profile
Q1S captures dense displacement profiles along a bridge from a remote position. For beam-like spans where bending dominates, engineers can derive curvature and surface-strain estimates from that measured shape using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory.
The result is a practical route from live bridge movement to strain insight, with the measurement geometry and structural model made explicit.
One dynamic event, shown as velocity, displacement, and the resulting strain estimate.
When the workflow is a fit
- Remote capture of a dense line of bridge response
- Strain-ready analysis for bending-led spans
- A second view when axial or local effects matter
For a fixed-monitoring context, the same spatial evidence helps teams interpret live-load behaviour and compare repeatable structural response over time.
A fixed-monitoring system that fits the field workflow
Built for outdoor, long-term deployment, Q1S brings IP54 protection, Gigabit Ethernet, GPS synchronisation, and environmental compensation into a compact system.
It works alongside accelerometers, strain gauges, and distance sensors—adding a dense, non-contact view where access to the surface is limited.
- IP54 environmental protection
- GPS and Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
- Atmospheric compensation for pressure, temperature, and humidity
Technical details for the monitoring plan
Measurement
| Measurement range | 0.5–50 m |
|---|---|
| Points per line | 128 |
| Optical focus | Fixed (0.5–50 m) |
| Acquisition speed | 128–25,600 points/s |
| Measurement accuracy | 20 µm + 6 µm/m |
| Angular range | 12°, 30° or 62° |
Vibrometry
| Sampling frequency | 40 kHz |
|---|---|
| Max. in-band velocity | ±155 mm/s (DOLL) |
| Velocity sensitivity | <50 nm/s/√Hz |
| Strain sensitivity | <1 µstrain |
| Displacement sensitivity | <0.1 µm |
| Integrated accelerometer | IMU (attitude only) |
Deployment and integration
| Power consumption | 45 W |
|---|---|
| External battery operation | 240 min |
| Interfaces | Gigabit Ethernet / GPS antenna |
| Mount | Thread 3.5″–8 TPI |
| Dimensions (without battery) | 382 × 228 × 150 mm |
| Weight (without battery) | 7.5 kg |
| Pointing aid | Red (650 nm) pointer laser |
| Atmospheric compensation | Pressure, temperature, humidity |
| Operational temperature | 0–40°C |
| Environmental protection | IP54 |
| Laser classification | 1550 nm (Class 1M) |
| Calibration | ISO 16063-41-aligned calibration protocol |
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Q1S FAQs
Evaluate Q1S when the requirement is fixed or repeated structural monitoring and the decision depends on vibration, deflection, or long-term movement across an asset. It is particularly relevant when surface access and the burden of distributed sensors are limiting factors.
Q1S provides remote optical measurement of structural response and can reduce the amount of contact instrumentation needed. It can also work alongside accelerometers, strain gauges, and distance sensors in a synchronized monitoring approach.
In laser Doppler vibrometry mode, Q1S captures vibration and short-term deflection curves at up to 40 kHz. In absolute interferometry mode, it supports long-term monitoring of structural displacement.
Yes. Its parallel measurement capability provides vibration data that can support operational modal analysis, including the identification of resonance frequencies and mode shapes from ambient or in-service excitation.
Q1S is designed for outdoor, fixed-use scenarios with IP54 protection, atmospheric compensation, and GPS/Ethernet integration. The final installation design should reflect the asset, stand-off distance, and expected environmental conditions.
Start with the asset, the movements or events that matter, stand-off distance, access conditions, and the decision the data must support. We can turn those into a focused monitoring plan and Q1S configuration.
Structural health monitoring tracks how an asset behaves over time so teams can spot meaningful change, plan inspections, and prioritise maintenance. Q1S adds remote vibration, deflection, and displacement data to that process. See bridge structural monitoring for the wider workflow.
Q1S measures surface velocity along a bridge from a remote position. That response can be processed into deflection curves, giving engineers a spatial view of movement during a live event. Read the bridge deflection workflow.
Q1S has 128 parallel laser channels and measures 128 points along a line in parallel. That spatial coverage helps teams interpret structural response beyond a small number of isolated sensor locations.
Need a different Q-Series measurement route?
Q1
For field-ready remote metrology and 128-beam vibrometry on large or difficult-to-access targets.
Q2
For dense full-field vibration characterization, complex geometry, and integrated 3D motion analysis.
Compare the Q-Series
See QMini, Q1S, Q1, and Q2 side by side and choose the system around the required outcome.
Plan the monitoring system around your asset
Tell us about the structure, access conditions, and the behaviour you need to understand. We’ll help map the measurement line, deployment approach, and outputs your team needs.