Serge DOS SANTOS of INSA Centre Val de Loire

The work describes the ongoing transformation of Non-Destructive testing (NDT) within the framework of Industry 4.0 and NDE 4.0. Following the introduction of the concept of Nonlinear Signal Processing for NDT 4.0, increasing attention has been devoted to advanced data processing tools capable of localizing and classifying nonlinear ultrasonic scatterers in complex materials and industrial environments. In line with the roadmap of the ICNDT Nonlinear Ultrasonics Working Group, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a key enabler for the statistical characterization of nonlinear ultrasonic signatures that are often difficult to activate, detect, and interpret. 

Within this context, the first contribution presents an innovative framework combining Time Reversal Nonlinear Elastic Wave Spectroscopy (TR-NEWS), quaternion-based signal processing, and semantic ontologies to improve defect characterization, knowledge representation, and interoperability of inspection data. Experimental investigations conducted on Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) components demonstrate the potential of quaternion representations for enhancing the analysis of nonlinear ultrasonic responses while ensuring compatibility with DICONDE-based digital workflows. The proposed Quaternion Excitation Symmetry Analysis Method (QESAM) further enables the integration of inspection information into digital twins and intelligent industrial ecosystems. 

The second part will concern the broader impact of Critical and Emerging Technologies, including AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning, on the evolution of NDT 4.0. It highlights the transition from digitally assisted inspections toward autonomous cognitive inspection systems capable of supporting decision-making processes. Special attention is given to human, ethical, and organizational dimensions, including explainability, trustworthiness, governance, workforce adaptation, and responsible AI deployment. Together, these contributions demonstrate that the future of NDE will rely on the convergence of advanced sensing technologies, semantic data models, digital twins, robotics, augmented reality, and trustworthy AI. They provide a roadmap toward intelligent, interoperable, and human-centered inspection ecosystems capable of significantly enhancing quality assurance, reliability assessment, and safety in next-generation industrial applications.

[1] Fernandez Orozco, Ramon and Dos Santos, Serge ; Advancing a Research Agenda on the Ethical Challenges and Human Factors that will be shaping the evolution of AI/ML/DL enhanced NDE processes in a context of exponentially accelerated maturing of Critical and Emerging Technologies (C&ETs), in proc. of the ECNDT2026, https://www.ndt.net/search/docs.php?id=33520

Biography:

Serge DOS SANTOS, PhD. received in 1995 the Master Degree of Physics with the mention “Molecular Spectroscopy and Nonlinear Physics” from the University of Dijon, France. He worked at the FEMTO Institute (LPMO-CNRS), Besançon, France, on the study of the origin of low frequency fluctuations in ultrastable oscillators. He obtained a Ph.D. degree in Engineering Science in 1998 for its contribution for understanding the link between low frequency noise and nonlinearity in synchonized systems. Then he joined the Ultrasonic Group “GIP Ultrasons” created by Pr. Léandre Pourcelot at Tours, France, working for the development of new medical and Non Destructive Testing (NDT) applications of Nonlinear Acoustics for Ultrasound Imaging. He is Associate Professor, Hab. Dir. Rech. at INSA Centre Val de Loire, Blois, France since 1998, leading as Project Manager on “Industry 4.0” the Digital Transformation within the INSA Group. His research interests at Inserm U1253 are in the broad area of nonlinear acoustics for NDT and biomedical applications, with a special focus on signal processing and instrumentation, nonlinear sources localization, and multimodal imaging involving nonlinear time reversal methods. His bibliography contains more than 227 references (Scopus H-index 2021: 10) with 54 co-authors, including 1 book, 2 book chapters, 21 reviewed contributions, 164 international conferences (27 invited) and 42 seminars or lectures. For his outstanding contribution to the growth and dissemination of Non Destructive Testing knowledge to the worldwide community, he was awarded by Academia NDT International as a Full Member (ECNDT 2010, Moscow), responsible of the “Signal Processing Chapter”, Member of the Council since 2014 and Vice-President since October 2021. He was elected in the IIAV Board of Directors during the period 2018-2022, and coopted in the Panel “IIAV Distinguished Fellowship and Fellowship Committee for IIAV non-members” in 2020. Since May 2020, he contributes to the NDE4.0 Global Ambassadors Panel. He was chosen as a member of the Organization or Scientific Committee (TPC) of international conferences and workshops: NDT in Progress since 2011, ICNDT2013, ICNDT2017; ECNDT 2014; IEEE BEC2014, IEEE BEC2016, ICSV22, IEEE IUS2016, WCNDT2016, ICSV23, ICSV24, FCAC2018, IEEE BEC 2018, ICFCTA 2019; ICSV25, ICSV26, FA2020, ICSV27, NDE4.0 2021, IEEE RTSI2021, ICSV28

Online resources :

ORCID :                     http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1248-4888

ResearcherID :           http://www.researcherid.com/rid/Q-2416-2015

CVscience :                http://cvscience.aviesan.fr/cv/1712/serge-dos-santos

Publons :                    https://publons.com/researcher/1435212/serge-dos-santos/

Scopus ID :                 https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7005092034

Google Scholar :        http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FlkdFioAAAAJ&hl=fr

IEEE Xplore :            https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37289854200

Email:

Address:INSA Centre Val de Loire, , Blois, Centre, France, 41000