When carrying out the final evaluation of an antenna in-situ or for maintenance purposes, it can be a complex and or costly process to bring the device to an anechoic chamber for testing. Microwave Vision Group’s StarBot 4300 negates those issues as it is a mobile, fully robotic near-field spherical scanner capable of measuring antennas placed anywhere on an aircraft.
Top, bottom, nose, tail, wing… the StarBot 4300’s multiple axes and semi-circle arch allow it to be positioned at any angle. It is designed to complete a spherical measurement with speed and accuracy while the aircraft remains on the tarmac!
The StarBot 4300 is composed of a mechanical scanner paired with MVP’s patented MV-ScanTMarray of 126 dual polarized probes. The probes are distributed over half an arch of 6 m in diameter. The arch is fixed to a mechanical arm which can be pivoted, extended and raised or lowered to optimize the positioning in proximity of the antenna on the aircraft.
The system is fully robotized, facilitating this positioning. The RF instrumentation rack is integrated into the base of the system which is used as a trolley to transport the arch on location.