Crowdsourced Roadway Sensor Relay via Passive RFID
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current roadway maintenance methods are inefficient and costly due to the need for large work crews and expensive infrastructure to monitor and connect vast networks of sensors, with existing technologies relying on physical audits and costly sensor systems that require frequent maintenance and extensive networking.
Innovation Solution
A crowdsourcing model utilizing civilian-owned, internet-connected devices equipped with passive RFID technology to relay sensor communications to a central monitoring system, allowing for efficient and cost-effective monitoring of road conditions by leveraging vehicles and smartphones to collect and transmit data from roadway sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical audits with maintenance crews are used to monitor sensor health, then sensor malfunction detection is achieved, but labor costs and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system performs self-diagnosis by automatically detecting its own malfunction status and transmitting alerts without requiring external physical audits. The sensor acts as both the monitored object and the monitoring agent, eliminating the need for maintenance crews to physically test each sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
A central server acts as an intermediary between sensors and maintenance personnel. The server receives automated malfunction alerts from sensors and coordinates maintenance activities, replacing the need for manual physical audits while ensuring reliable sensor monitoring.
2Reliability
If internet connectivity infrastructure is deployed to connect all sensors to the central system, then real-time monitoring capability is achieved, but infrastructure costs and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into autonomous sensor units that independently manage their own data collection and transmission. Each sensor operates as an independent node that only communicates with the central server when necessary, eliminating the need for a continuous, complex network infrastructure connecting all sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses inexpensive, simple sensor units with basic communication capabilities rather than investing in expensive, complex infrastructure. The sensors transmit data opportunistically when resources are available, accepting that individual communication channels may be temporary or intermittent rather than relying on permanent, high-cost infrastructure.
3Reliability
If preventive maintenance schedules are implemented for roadway devices, then system reliability is maintained, but operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback through automated sensor malfunction detection and reporting. Sensors continuously monitor their own status and provide real-time feedback to the central server, which then coordinates maintenance only when actually needed rather than following fixed preventive schedules.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance system transitions from static, predetermined schedules to dynamic, condition-based maintenance. Maintenance activities are adjusted in real-time based on actual sensor health status and environmental conditions, allowing the system to adapt maintenance frequency to actual needs rather than following rigid timelines.
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
This approach reduces the time and cost of identifying and addressing road defects, eliminates the need for extensive infrastructure, and provides real-time monitoring of sensor health, enabling timely and accurate maintenance decisions.
Implementation Method 1
A passive RFID tag does not require its own power source. A passive RFID tag is powered by electromagnetic energy that is transmitted from the RFID reader.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for relaying a sensor communication to a central monitoring system by utilizing a crowdsourcing model. The method includes: obtaining a registered device through crowdsourcing; registering the registered device into a central monitoring system; configuring the registered device to communicate with a plurality of road management sensors and with the central monitoring system; monitoring and gathering location information of the registered device by the central monitoring system; transmitting, via the central monitoring system, a request to gather a sensor communication from a sensor to the registered device; executing the request, via the registered device, by capturing the sensor communication emitted from the sensor, wherein the sensor communication is emitted using a passive radio-frequency identification tag; and relaying at least a part of the sensor communication from the registered device to the central monitoring system.