SUMMARY

This proposed research has been motivated by two practical applications: The first responds to a need to develop a geomagnetic field-based sensing system to help visually impaired patients locate objects and guide way-finding. The second is to develop a method that electromagnetically induces eddy-current in a conductive workpiece for real-time measurements of geometrical features in manufacturing. Research is proposed to address a common problem in these applications, which involves reconstruction of a physical field from limited measurements for characterizing geometrical features. Inspired by the simplicity of electromagnetic pole-based models, this research will formulate the forward and inverse electromagnetic problems and derive computationally efficient closed-form solutions to provide a basis for developing a multi-function electromagnetic sensing system and reconstructing a physical field of interest. The pole-based models will be employed in the design, analysis and optimization of the sensing system for the above mentioned applications, upon which a prototype sensing system will be developed to serve as a test-bed. An experimental investigation will be carried out to validate the concept feasibility of field reconstruction, verify the pole-based models and evaluate the sensor performance. Apart from the development of a multi-function electromagnetic sensing system for geometrical feature measurements, this research will lead to a general field-reconstruction method that has a spectrum of engineering applications.