Structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure using mobile robots

Publikationstyp
Conference Paper
Date Issued
2022-10-26
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Smarsly, Kay  
Dragos, Kosmas  
Stührenberg, Jan  
Worm, Mathias 
Institut
Digitales und autonomes Bauen B-1  
TORE-URI
http://hdl.handle.net/11420/14405
Citation
19th International Conference on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering (ICCCBE 2020)
Contribution to Conference
International Conference on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering, ICCCBE 2020  
Publisher Link
https://smarsly.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/smarsly2022t.pdf
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85171585116
With the advancements in information, communication, and sensing technologies, structural health monitoring (SHM) has matured into a substantial pillar of infrastructure maintenance. In particular, wireless sensor networks have gradually been incorporated into SHM, leveraging new opportunities towards reduced installation efforts and enhanced flexibility and scalability, as compared to cable-based SHM systems. However, wireless sensor nodes are installed at fixed locations and need to be employed at high density to reliably monitor large infrastructure, which may cause high installation costs. Furthermore, the limited power autonomy of wireless sensor networks, installed at fixed locations for unattended long-term operation, still represents a significant constraint when deploying stationary wireless sensor nodes for SHM. To resolve the critical constraints stemming from costly high-density deployment and limited power autonomy, a mobile structural health monitoring concept based on legged robots is proposed in the feasibility study reported in this paper. The study explores the feasibility of deploying legged robots for wireless SHM of civil infrastructure, aiming to achieve insights into realizing the advantages of mobile wireless sensor nodes in general and of legged robots in particular. As will be shown in this paper, the legged robots, as compared to stationary wireless sensor nodes, require a smaller number of nodes to be deployed in civil infrastructure to achieve the same sensor information, entailing more cost-efficient – yet accurate – SHM. In conclusion, this feasibility study represents a first step towards autonomous robotic fleets advancing structural health monitoring.