Read here about SENSKIN's progress from the first 18 months
Significant technical progress made during the first 18 months
The SENSKIN ('Sensing Skin' for Monitoring-Based Maintenance of the Transport Infrastructure) H2020 project's main objectives include developing:
  • A micro-electronic, skin-like, sensor for monitoring transport infrastructure, with a spatial sensing of reversible (repeated) strains in the range of 0.012%,
  • A delay (or disruption) tolerant communication system that will guarantee the delivery, availability and integrity of the sensor data even during hostile communication conditions.
  • A Decision Support System (DSS) for proactive condition-based structural intervention under operating loads and intervention after extreme events.

The project started in June 2015 with the extraction and structuring of the end-user requirements and the development of the system specifications and architecture.

 
SENSOR AND DATA ACQUISITION PROCESS
 
Following this, the system development has now fully started and the project is already in the first prototyping stage where the second sensor prototype has been produced, together with its data acquisition system. At the same time, the SENSKIN communication system is in the process of reaching its first prototype, where the integration work for the whole SENSKIN prototype is expected to start. In parallel, the development of the structural assessment module has started, focusing on a finite modeling required for the whole bridge.
 
Meanwhile, the rehabilitation Planning Module, the Decision Support System ( DSS) and SENSKIN package integration works have also started on technical descriptions for measures and reviews of strengthening measures for Germany (cost factors, materials, environment, etc.). There has been some significant progress on the development of the SENSKIN sensor that can be summarised as follows: materials for the stretchable capacitor and electrodes have been selected, the silicone layers have been developed and the two films will be put together back to back to form a stretchable capacitor. The sensors have a very stable output in a relatively large range of strain rates. The sensors also show quite a linear output in a range of pre-strains between 0% and 20%. The results obtained so far indicate that the selected sensor design is feasible, as well as materials, and may be considered as a basis for further developments. At the same time, the data acquisition module is being designed and consists of an analogue electronics part and a subsequent digital signal processor (DSP). The design of the sensor has been improved both in terms of performance, ease of fabrication and encapsulation.
Recent developments with the communication system

The first testing of the equipment has now started and the communication between the gateway and sensor node using SENSKIN Operation Logic Protocol (SOLP) and Delay-tolerant networking (DTN) has been tested as a proof of concept. The first tests have provided on demand measurement, request configuration files and log files, remote firmware update of CC1310. The full integration with the Sensor/data acquisition (DAQ) kit is still ongoing and expected to finish in the next months. The communication system prototype is now being finalised with electronics, printed circuit board (PCB) design and integration steps.
Save the date for first SENSKIN workshop!

The first SENSKIN workshop, to be held on Wednesday 8th November 2017 at the BluePoint Brussels (formerly DIAMANT Centre), 80 Bd. A. Reyers, 1030 Brussels, aims at analysing the functional and operational requirements of the SENSKIN system based on the needs of bridge owners and operators, as well as the methodology of the SENSKIN monitoring system.
 
To facilitate and enhance knowledge exchange between practitioners in the field of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), a number of monitoring systems already being used, as well as those currently being developed, will be presented. This will provide input into the panel discussion, which will discuss among others the latest trends in SHM, how to make SHM more prominent in bridge monitoring, etc. More detailed information, including the programme, will follow shortly.

For further information, contact the Project Coordinator Dr. Angelos Amditis, visit www.senskin.eu or join our Linked In group.You can also hear more about SENSKIN this week (Friday 7th April 2017) at the FEHRL Infrastructure Research Meeting 2017 (FIRM17).
  SENSKIN partners














Contact
Project Coordinator, Dr. Angelos Amditis at a.amditis@iccs.gr for further information.
Catherine Birkner at info@fehrl.org for communication issues.

STAY CONNECTED: