SBIR Phase II: Robotic Systems for Network Interrogation of Smart Civil Structures

该小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目旨在继续开发和现场测试自主机器人结构检测系统，该系统能够通过互联网远程供电和从具有远程数据访问的嵌入式传感节点网络收集数据。该系统将利用现有的微型、多通道、无线、可编程的可寻址传感模块(ASM)来采集来自各种传感器的数据。这些感应供电节点不需要电池或互连线，大大提高了可靠性，降低了安装成本。传感节点网络可以嵌入、询问和远程访问，在这些应用中，由于物理空间限制、偏远的地理位置、高检查成本和执行检查的人员涉及的高风险，人工视觉检查是不现实的。传感器可以指示维修、更换或加固的需要，这将降低灾难性故障的风险，并在发生地震、飓风、龙卷风和洪水等自然灾害后有用。互联网上关键结构健康数据的可获得性将极大地帮助公路工程师和科学家获取有关这些结构的信息，这将提高我们对土木结构及其必要维护的安全性的了解。市场潜力巨大，因为各种特定任务的机器人可以(与我们的系统一起)用于远程检查和从广泛的结构中传送互联网数据，例如：桥梁、桥梁基座、大坝、海上石油钻井平台、建筑物、危险废物场地、这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目旨在继续开发和现场测试自主机器人结构检测系统，该系统能够通过互联网远程供电和从具有远程数据访问的嵌入式传感节点网络收集数据。该系统将利用现有的微型、多通道、无线、可编程的可寻址传感模块(ASM)来采集来自各种传感器的数据。这些感应供电节点不需要电池或互连线，大大提高了可靠性，降低了安装成本。传感节点网络可以嵌入、询问和远程访问，在这些应用中，由于物理空间限制、偏远的地理位置、高检查成本和执行检查的人员涉及的高风险，人工视觉检查是不现实的。传感器可以指示维修、更换或加固的需要，这将降低灾难性故障的风险，并在发生地震、飓风、龙卷风和洪水等自然灾害后有用。互联网上关键结构健康数据的可获得性将极大地帮助公路工程师和科学家获取这些结构的信息，这将提高我们对土木结构及其必要维护的安全性的了解。市场潜力巨大，因为各种特定任务的机器人可以(与我们的系统一起)用于远程检查和从广泛的结构中传递互联网数据，例如：桥梁、桥梁基座、大坝、海上石油钻井平台、建筑物、危险废物场地和核电站。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II, project is aimed at the continued development and field testing of an autonomous robotic structural inspection system capable of remote powering and data collection from a network of embedded sensing nodes with remote data access via the internet. The system will utilize existing microminiature, multichannel, wireless, programmable Addressable Sensing Modules (ASM's) to sample data from a variety of sensors. These inductively powered nodes do not require batteries or interconnecting wires, which greatly enhances reliability and reduces installation cost. Networks of sensing nodes can be embedded, interrogated, and remotely accessed in applications where visual inspection by people is not practical due to: physical space constraints, remote geographic locations, high inspection costs, and high risks involved for those performing the inspections. The sensors can indicate the need for repair, replacement, or reinforcement, which will reduce the risk of catastrophic failure and will be useful after natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. The availability of critical structural health data on the internet would greatly assist highway engineers and scientists to acquire information about these structures, which will improve our understanding of the safety of civil structures and their requisite maintenance.Market potential is significant, as various task specific robots can be employed (with our systems) for remote inspection and internet data delivery from a broad spectrum of structures, such as: bridges, bridge footings, dams, offshore oil rigs, buildings, hazardous waste sites, and nuclear power plants.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is aimed at the continued development and field testing of an autonomous robotic structural inspection system capable of remote powering and data collection from a network of embedded sensing nodes with remote data access via the internet. The system will utilize existing microminiature, multichannel, wireless, programmable Addressable Sensing Modules (ASM's) to sample data from a variety of sensors. These inductively powered nodes do not require batteries or interconnecting wires, which greatly enhances reliability and reduces installation cost. Networks of sensing nodes can be embedded, interrogated, and remotely accessed in applications where visual inspection by people is not practical due to: physical space constraints, remote geographic locations, high inspection costs, and high risks involved for those performing the inspections. The sensors can indicate the need for repair, replacement, or reinforcement, which will reduce the risk of catastrophic failure and will be useful after natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. The availability of critical structural health data on the internet would greatly assist highway engineers and scientists to acquire information about these structures, which will improve our understanding of the safety of civil structures and their requisite maintenance.Market potential is significant, as various task specific robots can be employed (with our systems) for remote inspection and internet data delivery from a broad spectrum of structures, such as: bridges, bridge footings, dams, offshore oil rigs, buildings, hazardous waste sites, and nuclear power plants.