Sensor-Integrated Fasteners for Remote Structural Damage Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting property damage, such as in buildings or vehicles, rely on in-person physical inspections, which can be time-consuming and may not detect hidden or remote damage effectively.
Innovation Solution
A smart fastener system that integrates sensors and processors to monitor structural parameters, detect damage, and provide notifications, while also allowing for remote monitoring and potential actuation to adjust the fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If in-person physical inspection methods are used to detect property damage, then the inspection can be performed with simple equipment, but the detection efficiency and accuracy are low and hidden damage cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual physical inspection with an automated sensor-based detection system. Sensors integrated into fasteners monitor structural parameters electronically, substituting the mechanical inspection process with automated electronic monitoring that detects both visible and hidden damage through parameter changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener system performs self-monitoring of structural integrity through integrated sensors that continuously detect parameters such as tension, compression, and deformation. The system automatically identifies damage conditions without requiring external inspection, enabling the structure to monitor itself through the smart fasteners.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors and processors are integrated into smart fasteners to monitor structural parameters, then damage detection accuracy improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional components (sensors, processors, communication modules) into a single integrated smart fastener unit. This merging of functions allows the fastener to simultaneously perform mechanical fastening, structural parameter monitoring, damage detection, and wireless communication, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The smart fastener is designed as a multi-functional device that performs both traditional mechanical fastening and advanced structural monitoring. The same fastener body houses sensors for multiple parameter detection (tension, compression, deformation, temperature), processors for data analysis, and communication modules, making it a universal component for both construction and monitoring purposes.
3Ease of operation
If smart fasteners with wireless communication are deployed throughout a structure, then remote monitoring capability is achieved, but the quantity of components and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the structural monitoring system into discrete, modular smart fastener units distributed throughout the structure. Each fastener independently monitors its local structural parameters and communicates wirelessly, allowing the overall system to achieve comprehensive coverage through modular deployment rather than requiring a centralized complex monitoring system.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication module acts as an intermediary between the distributed smart fasteners and the central monitoring system. This intermediary enables remote data transmission from multiple fasteners without requiring physical connections, reducing installation complexity and enabling easy deployment of additional fasteners throughout the structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A smart fastener system includes a smart fastener configured to couple two components of a structure to one another, wherein the smart fastener includes one or more sensors that are configured to monitor one or more parameters. The smart fastener system also includes one or more processors configured to receive signals indicative of the one or more parameters, assess damage to the structure based on the one or more parameters, and provide a notification that indicates the damage to the structure in response to determining a presence of the damage to the structure.