Mobile Sensor Networks: A New Approach for Structural Health Monitoring

In this paper, a new approach using mobile sensor networks is proposed for structural health monitoring. Compared with static sensors, mobile sensor networks offer flexible system architectures with adaptive spatial resolutions. The paper describes the design concept of a flexure-based mechatronic (flexonic) mobile sensing node and its application in structural health monitoring. The flexonic mobile sensing node is capable of maneuvering on structures built with ferromagnetic materials, as well as attaching/detaching an accelerometer onto/from a steel structural surface. The performance of the prototype mobile sensor network has been validated through laboratory experiments, where two flexonic mobile sensing nodes are adopted for maneuvering on a steel portal frame. Transmissibility function analysis is then conducted to identify structural damage using data collected by the mobile sensing nodes. This preliminary work is expected to spawn transformative changes of using mobile sensors for future structural health monitoring.