Sensor technology and applications to a real-time monitoring system

Abstract

Large-scale structures such as bridges, dams and buildings have caused countless fatalities in the past decades because engineers were not able to detect the early signs of failure. It is believed that with the implementation of a distributed sensor network, many of these unfortunate events could have been avoided. The ultimate goal in applying distributed sensors is for structures to combine mechanical systems and computer processing to allow them to adapt themselves in extreme conditions without human assistance. The Flagpole project is attempting to build such a monitoring system by instrumenting a model of a flagpole in a laboratory environment. The selected sensors, accelerometers, strain gauges and thermocouples, provide a complete description of the model's behavior to the physical environment. These sensors stream data into a data acquisition system, which buffers the data and directs it to a database for storage. Visualization software allows for Internet users to view the data in real-time and analyze the model's reaction to current external forces. For this system to become more automated, new sensor technology must be explored. Recent advances in the field of MEMS technology and wireless communication should be examined to build a system that incorporates decision-making at the sensor level and is expandable to larger scale systems.