NIST Award for sensor development

Optiphase, Redfern and the university of Illinois (with prof. F. ansari) announced that they has been selected to participate in a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Technology Innovation Program (TIP) to develop advanced sensing technologies that enable timely and detailed monitoring and inspection of the structural health of bridges, roadways, and water systems that comprise a significant portion of the nation's public infrastructure.

The project involves the development of an innovative fiber optic monitoring system for large public structures, such as bridges, waterways, or pipelines that substitutes a single optical fiber sensing cable for hundreds of discrete, local strain or fracture sensors. Optiphase's blueprint calls for the use of distributed sensors (the entire fiber length is the sensor) and low-cost standardized fiber optic assemblies. The approach leverages naturally occurring scattering light phenomenon in fiber optic cable, coupled with the highest possible resolution method available (interferometric), to yield the breakthrough required—concurrent dynamic and static, high-resolution measurements of large structures. This system could also scale to form an interstate civil structure grid, providing remote monitoring and highly precise real-time data analysis of structural conditions.

The system seeks to break the existing spatial and strain resolution barriers of today's sensors and offers both static and dynamic measurements in a cost-effective manner for large public works structures. This will enable agencies to instrument large structures for real-time, high-resolution monitoring of the public works infrastructure for detection of cracks, large deformations, dynamic overloads, and other critical structural conditions.

Total funding of $4 million for the project is provided to the partners from NIST via joint venture Distributed Sensor Technologies Inc over a period of 3 years.

[Optiphase press release]