Innovative Sensing
Systems
A survey of the activities on advanced sensing systems
for permanent monitoring carried out at Politecnico di
Torino – Department of Electronics
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Contact person: G. Perrone, Dep. of Electronics,
[email protected]
Technologies
Fiber Optic Sensors
• FOS market is limited by high prices,
complexity, insufficient familiarity with fibers:
 Plastic optical fibers → very low-cost
 Glass fibers → innovative interrogators
Data Acquisition Architectures
• Distributed measurement systems:
 Integration of FOS in wireless networks
 Wireless low-power sensor networks
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Fiber vs. Traditional Sensors
• Fiber vs. mechanical sensors:
– Lightweight, flexibility and versatility.
– Resistance to corrosion.
– Reduced invasive impact given the possibility to remote
the control unit.
• Fiber vs. electrical sensors:
– Immunity to electromagnetic disturbances and
discharges.
– Impossibility to start fires or explosions.
– Simplified remote operation since the same fiber can be
used both for sensing and data transmission.
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
• optical device
characterization
• fiber Bragg grating
fabrication
• fiber drawing tower
• clean room for thin
film depositions.
PhotonLab
Facilities
• automatic
measurement system
testing
• transducer
characterization
• certified calibration
facility.
Electronic
Measurement
Systems
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Applications
Civil and geotechnical engineering:
Structural monitoring, landslide evolution, …
Mechanics:
Chemistry:
Automation, monitoring
of movable parts,
valves, …
PH measurement,
detection of gases or
of toxic products, …
Medicine and
bioengineering:
Physiological
parameters,
muscular force, …
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Capabilities
Plastic and glass fiber
sensors for:
• Displacements
• Custom data
acquisition systems
• Non contact distance
• Vibrations / accelerations
• Strain - pressures
• Chemicals (H, SOx, NOx)
• Temperature
• Wireless network of
low-cost miniaturized
sensors for real-time
and off-line monitoring
• Electrical Field
10 International
patents
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Displacement / crack
monitoring
Examples
Chemicals
Vibrations
Smart buttons and
network of wearable
sensors
Deforma
tions
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Examples: Displacement Sensors
• Up to 60 mm
Displacement
sensors
• Resolution: < 1/100 mm
• Repeatability: < 1/20
mm
Vibration
sensor
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Examples: Displacement Sensors
Field test in Venice with the support
from Fondazione TorinoWireless
L
O
C
K
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Examples: Deformations
Low cost sensor able to measure distributed displacements
with a sub-millimeter resolution based on the phase shift
between transmitted and received signals along a fiber link.
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Examples: Deformations
Distributed sensor used to
Variation of light
measure deformations in a lab
polarization
model of a bridge.
Output power, dB
Prototype of the control unit
Response to five pressure
stimuli
Samples
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Examples: Deformations
Fiber Bragg Gratings with
custom interrogators
Acoustic wave detection
Structural monitoring
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Examples: Vibrations
Low cost sensor based on the spectral analysis of the
received reflected power to measure the amplitude of
vibrations independently from the surface reflectivity.
• Resolution: < 1/1000 mm
• High frequency capabilities
(current tests up to 40 kHz)
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it
Example: Network of Wearable Sensors
Wireless network of low-cost wearable buttons for realtime and off-line monitoring of temperature and humidity
Skin Temperature and Relative Humidity
100
Temperature
Humidity
35
90
34
33
80
03 May 2008
14:00
10 cent shaped button with
temperature and humidity sensor,
lithium battery and 2.4 GHz radio
Relative Humidity [%]
Temperature [°C]
36
03 May 2008
23:00
Date and Time
04 May 2008
08:00
Example of biomedical application: skin
temperature and humidity monitoring during
daily life
M. Parvis, G. Perrone, A. Vallan
Dept. of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 5644146 – [email protected] - www.fco.delen.polito.it