Multi-Sensor Event Detection for Structural Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current structures, such as armor, microelectronics, and critical infrastructure, lack effective real-time sensing systems to detect damage events like impacts, tampering, or structural integrity issues, which can lead to delayed detection and increased risk to lives and equipment.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing resistive/conductive sensor layers with electromagnetic signal measuring portions to detect damage events by analyzing changes in electromagnetic signals, providing real-time data on damage location, size, orientation, and category, and integrating with acoustic and imaging systems for comprehensive event detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual inspection is used to detect damage events, then detection can be performed without additional sensing systems, but detection is delayed and lives may be placed at risk
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing system performs preliminary detection of damage events before they become critical. Sensors continuously monitor structures for impacts, cracks, and other damage, enabling early warning and immediate response before the damage progresses to a life-threatening level.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual inspection methods are replaced with automated sensing systems that use electromagnetic, acoustic, and optical fields to detect damage. This substitution enables continuous, real-time monitoring without human intervention, eliminating detection delays while maintaining high reliability.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensor systems are integrated for comprehensive event detection, then detection accuracy and information completeness are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing system is divided into specialized subsystems, each responsible for detecting specific types of events (impacts, acoustic signals, visual changes). This segmentation allows each sensor type to be optimized for its specific function while working together as an integrated system, improving overall detection precision without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing system employs multi-functional sensors and processing units that can detect and analyze multiple types of events simultaneously. A single integrated platform processes electromagnetic, acoustic, and optical data, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive detection capabilities across different event types.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables immediate and accurate detection of damage events, allowing for timely mitigation actions, enhancing structural integrity monitoring, and improving safety in various applications including armor, spacecraft, aircraft, and vehicles by providing real-time data on damage location and severity.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of electromagnetic signal measuring portions oriented in a first orientation... adapted to conduct an electromagnetic signal
Implementation Method 2
The acoustic detection system is configured to process time offsets from soundwaves at the plurality of microphones for determining the direction of the source of the event
Implementation Method 3
an imaging system including at least one camera configured to detect weapon fire flash events
Data Source
AI summary
A damage detection and remediation system includes a sensing device for detecting damage events related to a structure of interest. Such damage events may include impact from a ballistic object, a tamper event, a physical impact, or other events that may affect structural integrity or cause failure. Illustratively, the sensing device is in communication with a measurement system to determine damage criteria, and a processing system which is configured to use the damage criteria to determine, for example, a direction of the initiation point of a ballistic causing the damage event.