A study on building risk monitoring using wireless sensor network MICA mote

A number of studies have been conducted on structural health monitoring for buildings and civil engineering structures in recent years (Spencer et al. 2002, Spencer 2003, Dyke et al. 2000, Fujino & Abe 2002, Iwan 2002, Mita & Takahira 2002). In addition, the interest in sensing technology for various uses has been growing, and new kinds of sensors have been developed by micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Some of these studies have focused on wireless sensing technology. Researchers at the Stanford University have developed a wireless sensing unit for real-time structural response measurements and conducted a series of validation tests (Lynch et al. 2002, Lynch 2002). Recently, a commercially available wireless sensor platform called “mote” with an operating system was provided by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley (Horton et al. 2002, Wait et al. 2002), and its application to the next generation of structural health monitoring and control was proposed (Spencer et al. 2002, Spencer 2003). In this paper, the feasibility of monitoring of various risks for buildings by using the smart sensors is discussed, and the performance of the latest version of the “mote” as a wireless acceleration sensor is tested.