Smart Sensors for Disasters

Reported October 2005

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- When something's wrong in the human body, the brain lets us know we're hurt, but what happens if something goes wrong inside a building or bridge? Now, smart sensors may be able to diagnose the health of structures.

Whether it's the furry of a hurricane, the shake of an earthquake, or the ripping wind of a tornado, natural disasters can damage our roads, bridges and buildings. Civil engineer Jerome Lynch, Ph.D., wants to make those structures safer. He's studying whether wireless sensors can do that.

Lynch, of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, says, "If damage has been incurred to the structure, the wireless sensing network has the ability to actually determine both the existence, as well as the probability of the location and the magnitude of the damage in a structure."

Here's how it works: The sensor -- which contains a wireless modem, battery and processor -- assesses injury in a structure. When a building shakes, the sensor records the frequency of the movement. That data is sent to a main computer source. In the study, the sensor determines how much damage this vibrating structure endures. Then, Lynch determines where the damage happened.

The sensors could let rescuers know when it's safe to re-enter a building after a disaster. They also could let workers know when maintenance is needed. The sensors are about $9,000 cheaper than traditional cable systems, and they're easier to install. Lynch says, "These really are amazing technologies that have the ability to make our structures safer, more cost effective, as well as easier to use in the future." He hopes the sensors will be widely available in the next few years.

Lynch believes wireless sensors could have saved thousands of lives during the 9-11 tragedy. They would have let workers know when the towers were about to collapse. He and colleagues have tested the sensors on real structures and say they performed just as well as traditional cable-based systems. The technology may also one day be used in space and aircrafts.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Laura Bailey
News Service
(734) 647-1848
http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~jerlynch
baileylm@umich.edu

For more information about civil engineering, please contact:

Jill Dixon
(703) 295-6404
http://www.asce.org
jdixon@asce.org




Click here to watch the video.

Trouble playing the piano? A new, smaller piano may help you make beautiful music.

170,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. Now a new surgery helps patients recover faster.

Protect your children and your pets. Keep your lawn green and growing without chemicals!

Firefighters put their lives on the line every day ... Now there's a new device to help protect them during a disaster!

New car technology might offer your wallet some relief when you fill up!

A new, easier device to help people use their cell phone, computer & iPod!

A new technique is helping doctors find cancer they can't even see.

Explosions ... earthquakes ... fire! Whatever the disaster, firefighters have a new tool to use before they rush in for a rescue.

Do you spend a lot of time on a computer? A new invention may save your hands and arms from hurting.

A new therapy is helping some diabetics say goodbye to insulin shots.

Not enough money and too many tests! Schools are cutting field trips from the budget. Now there is a new way for kids to experience the world without leaving the classroom.

Wind Farms may be the energy source of the future -- but they could make the weather dryer and hotter!