This invention utilizes sensing technologies in combination with or in isolation of an automated inspection vehicle to conduct inspections of internal rail flaws in steel railroad track. A vehicle equipped with X-radiation sensing is used as a secondary method to assess the deviations in magnetic fields that are sensed by a primary sensor consisting of a single or multiple magnetometers. The magnetometers sense changes in magnetic field that are correlated to the flaws inside the steel rail. The technologies improve the probability to detect railroad flaws and offer the ability to accurately track and monitor flaws.

Methods for performing maintenance operations using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The methods are enabled by equipping a UAV with a maintenance tool capable of performing a desired maintenance operation (e.g., nondestructive inspection) on a limited-access surface of a large structure or object (e.g., a wind turbine blade). The UAV uses re-orientation of lifting means (e.g., vertical rotors) to move the maintenance tool continuously or intermittently across the surface of the structure while maintaining contact with the surface of the structure undergoing maintenance.

According to one implementation, a structural health monitoring system includes an ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic sensor, a strain sensor and a signal processing part. The ultrasonic transducer oscillates an ultrasonic wave to the first inspection area. The ultrasonic sensor detects a waveform of at least one of a transmission wave of the ultrasonic wave and a reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave. The transmission wave has transmitted the first inspection area. The reflected wave has been reflected in the first inspection area. The strain sensor detects a strain amount of the second inspection area. The signal processing part obtains at least one index, representing health of the structural object including the first inspection area and the second inspection area, based on the waveform detected by the ultrasonic sensor and the strain amount detected by the strain sensor.

A ceramic based strain detector includes a ceramic body including a conductive member deposited thereon, and a pair of conductive end caps affixed to respective ends of the ceramic body. The strain detector is supported by a circuit board and fractures when the circuit board undergoes excessive strain. A strain monitor is configured to detect when the strain detector fractures by sensing a resistance between the pair of conductive end caps.

A semiconductor element includes a plurality of microlenses provided on a main surface to collect light, a plurality of conductive electrodes provided on a back surface of the main surface, a photoelectric converter to which the light collected by the plurality of microlenses is guided, and a strain sensor provided on the same layer as the photoelectric converter to detect a strain. A solid-state imaging apparatus includes the semiconductor element, a transparent member, an adhesive layer that covers the plurality of microlenses and adheres to the transparent member, and a plurality of external connection electrodes electrically connected to the plurality of conductive electrodes, respectively.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium for receiving an indication of damage to a building from a sensor network associated with the building, where the sensor network is responsive to damage to the building. Determining a location and an extent of the damage to the building based on the indication of damage. Automatically coordinating a repair for the damage in response to determining the location and the extent of the damage.

According to one embodiment, a structural health monitoring apparatus for monitoring health of a structure includes a resistance measurement unit and an evaluation unit. The resistance measurement unit measures a resistance value between one terminal and another terminal of a set of two terminals. The set of two terminals is selected from a plurality of terminals provided on the electrical paths formed in the assembled body that forms frames of the structure. The evaluation unit evaluates the health of the structure by using a difference between the resistance value between terminals of the set of two terminals and a reference resistance value between the two terminals, and outputs evaluation result information.

One embodiment can provide a system for estimating a useful life of a load-bearing structure at least partly made of a conductive material. During operation, the system establishes a physics-based damage model for the load-bearing structure, performs a dynamic measurement to obtain at least one conductive property of the load-bearing structure as a function of fatigue cycles, estimates parameters of the physics-based damage model based on the measured conductive property, and estimates the useful life of the load-bearing structure based on the estimated parameters of the physics-based damage model.

A pressure sensor for a pipe includes: a flexible strip; at least one strain sensing element; and a tensioning device. A first end of the flexible strip passes through a second end of the flexible strip. Between the first end of the flexible strip and the second end of the flexible strip, the flexible strip includes the at least one strain sensing element. The pressure sensor is attachable to the pipe. The first end of the flexible strip extends through or past the second end of the flexible strip. The tensioning device tensions the pressure sensor around the pipe.

Systems and methods for printed multifunctional skin are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a smart device includes providing a structure, placing a sensor over an outer surface of the structure, and placing conductive traces over the outer surface of the structure. The conductive traces electrically connect the sensor to electronics.