Advanced Structural Health Monitoring based on Collective Intelligence
(2010 – present)
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Goal of the research project is to develop an intelligent structural health monitoring system for continuous real-time monitoring and autonomous safety assessment of structural systems in civil and environmental engineering. Based on a novel scientific methodology, a monitoring strategy is proposed coupling wireless sensor networks and multi-agent technology. As a nucleus of this research project, single (microscopic) agent behaviors are synergistically interconnected to a global (macroscopic) system behavior. As a result, collective intelligent group behavior is achieved that is designated as "emergence" in modern computer science ("The whole is greater than the sum of its parts"). |
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Related publications:
- Smarsly, K., Law, K. H. & Hartmann, D., 2012. A Multi-Agent-Based Collaborative Framework for a Self-Managing Structural Health Monitoring System. ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering (in press).
- Smarsly, K., Law, K. H. & König, M., 2011. Resource-Efficient Wireless Monitoring based on Mobile Agent Migration. In: Kundu, T. (ed.). Proceedings of the SPIE (Vol. 7984): Health Monitoring of Structural and Biological Systems 2011. San Diego, CA, USA, 03/06/2011.
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Development of Energy-efficient Dynamic Sensor Networks for Wireless Environmental and Structural Health Monitoring
(2010 – present)
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New approaches towards wireless environmental and structural health monitoring are investigated within this project. To ensure a flexible and cost-efficient monitoring, wireless sensor networks are developed, capable of acting dynamically in the environment they are embedded in, and of automatically responding to changes occurring in the environment (Cyber-Physical Systems). Representing a key approach, the principle of agent migration is introduced. Agent migration allows for a physical migration of decentralized, intelligent software entities ("software agents") from one sensor node to another. Migrating agents apply their specific knowledge – only if required – directly on the sensor nodes, for example to analyzed sensor data or to detect anomalies in the data sets taken from the environment. As preliminary results indicate, a significantly reduced resource consumption of the sensor nodes (memory, power, etc.) as well as a more flexible monitoring, as compared with conventional approaches, can be achieved. |
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Related publications:
- Smarsly, K. & Law, K. H., 2012. Coupling Wireless Sensor Networks and Autonomous Software for Integrated Soil Moisture Monitoring. In: IWA (International Water Association). The 10th International Conference on Hydroinformatics. Hamburg, Germany, 07/14/2012 (submitted).
- Smarsly, K., Law, K. H. & König, M., 2011. Autonomous Structural Condition Monitoring based on Dynamic Code Migration and Cooperative Information Processing in Wireless Sensor Networks. In: Chang, F.-K. (ed.). The 8th International Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring 2011. Stanford, CA, USA, 09/13/2011. Lancaster, PA, USA: DEStech Publications, Inc., pp. 1996-2003.
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Agent-based Monitoring and Lifetime Prediction of Wind Turbines
(2008 – present)
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Wind energy technology provides a clean and cost-effective renewable energy source. Modern structural health monitoring systems are of paramount importance for providing accurate real-time information on the structural condition of wind turbines. This research project aims at two main goals: First, to adequately identify location and severity of existing or evolving deteriorations of wind turbine structures through the development and the application of novel methods for system identification; second, to establish reliable lifetime predictions for damage-sensitive parts and components of wind turbine structures based on continuously updated numerical models. Key points of the research work include (i) measurements of relevant system parameters on a replica model with fully analogous dynamical behavior in a wind tunnel, (ii) in-situ monitoring of a wind turbine, (iii) development of time-variant system identification strategies formulated as inverse optimization problems and (iv) lifetime prediction through stochastic fatigue analysis. In order to manage the required numerical efforts, distributed and parallel simulation concepts are utilized. |
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Related publications:
- Smarsly, K., Law, K. H. & Hartmann, D., 2011. Implementation of a multiagent-based paradigm for decentralized real-time structural health monitoring. In: Ames, D., Droessler, T. L. & Hoit, M. (eds.). Structures Congress 2011. Proceedings of the 2011 ASCE Structures Congress. Las Vegas, NV, USA, 04/14/2011. Reston, VA, USA: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), pp. 1875-1885.
- Hartmann, D., Smarsly, K. & Law, K. H., 2011. Coupling Sensor-Based Structural Health Monitoring with Finite Element Model Updating for Probabilistic Lifetime Estimation of Wind Energy Converter Structures. In: Chang, F.-K. (ed.). The 8th International Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring 2011. Stanford, CA, USA, 09/13/2011. Lancaster, PA, USA: DEStech Publications, Inc., pp. 2595-2602.
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Autonomous Monitoring of Safety-relevant Engineering Structures
(2003 – 2008)
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In this project, a fully autonomous structural health monitoring approach has been developed and implemented in a system named AMBOS (autonomous monitoring system based on software agents) which represents a novel generation of intelligent monitoring systems. AMBOS controls and executes relevant monitoring tasks autonomously and supports the involved human actors in a proactive fashion. Taking into account the safety-relevance of the system, its reliability and fault tolerance is ensured through comprehensive system self-management capabilities including self-healing, self-configuration, self-protection and self-optimization. Core of the monitoring system is a hybrid multilayer model (HMLM) that couples well-established, powerful engineering methods with new scientific concepts, particularly based on symbolic and sub-symbolic Artificial Intelligence techniques. |
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Related publications:
- Smarsly, K. & Hartmann, D., 2009. AMBOS – A self-managing system for monitoring civil engineering structures. In: EG-ICE (European Group for Intelligent Computing in Engineering). The XVI Workshop on Intelligent Computing in Engineering. Berlin, Germany, 07/15/2009. Aachen, Germany: Shaker Publishing, pp. 258-267.
- Smarsly, K. & Hartmann, D., 2007. Artificial Intelligence in Structural Health Monitoring. In: Zingoni, A. (ed.). The Third International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation. Cape Town, South Africa, 09/10/2007. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Millpress Science Publishers, pp. 705-706.
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Agent-based Monitoring of Dam Structures
(2002 – 2003)
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Software agents – autonomous, mobile and intelligent software programs – provide all the characteristics necessary to innovate and accelerate the development of distributed applications. They represent a powerful and robust software technology for implementing distributed-collaborative workflows and complex interactions. Applying software agents, this project has taken an innovative approach to develop a remote dam monitoring system, which is capable of supporting the human experts in solving their monitoring tasks. Responsible for this project was Dr. Ingo Mittrup (Principal Investigator: Professor Dietrich Hartmann). Thus, please refer to the institute website for additional information. |
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Related publications:
- Mittrup, I., Smarsly, K., Hartmann, D. & Bettzieche, V., 2003. An Agent-based Approach to Dam Monitoring. In: Amor, R. (ed.). The 20th CIB W78 Conference on Information Technology in Construction. Auckland, New Zealand, 04/23/2003. Auckland, New Zealand: University of Auckland, pp. 239-246.
- Bilek, J., Mittrup, I., Smarsly, K. & Hartmann, D., 2003. Agent-based Concepts for the Holistic Modeling of Concurrent Processes in Structural Engineering. In: Cha, J., Jardim-Goncalves, R., Steiger-Garcao, A. (eds.). The 10th ISPE International Conference on Concurrent Engineering: Research and Applications. Madeira, Portugal, 07/26/2003. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: IOS Press, pp. 47-53.
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| Further recent projects related to Structural Health Monitoring
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- A Wireless Environment Monitoring System for Ground Motion Detection based on Collective Intelligence
(Bachelor thesis, Kristina Georgieva, 2011)
- Design and Implementation of a Wireless Structural Health Monitoring System based on Multi-Agent Technology
(Diploma thesis, Felix Hegemann, 2010)
- Lifetime Assessment of Wind Turbines
(Undergraduate research project, Kristina Georgieva, 2010)
- Self-organizing Wireless Sensor Networks for Structural Health Monitoring
(Master thesis, Ma Xin, 2009)
- Design and JAVA-based Implementation of a Probabilistic Prognosis Model for the Assessment of Structural Damage using Markov Chain Theory
(Master thesis, Kiran Kumar Vupalla, 2007)
- Development of a Graphical User Interface for Automatically Computing and Visualizing Tunneling Projects
(Undergraduate research project, 2006)
- A CAD-based Application for the Automated Visualization of Tunnels in Variably Layered Geology
(Graduate seminar project, 2006)
- Development of an Agent-based Data Acquisition Application for Mobile Devices
(Master thesis, Kinkiri Amaranata Reddy, 2006)
- Development and Evaluation of a Generic Interaction Component as a Platform-independent Presentation Layer for Engineering Applications
(Diploma thesis, David Marx, 2005)
- Evaluation and Application of Data Mining Techniques
(Undergraduate research project, 2005)
- Development of a Software Agent for the Administration of Complex Data in Civil Engineering
(Diploma thesis, Marcus Bloch, 2004)
- Development of a Knowledge-based System for Data Analysis in the Context of Structural Health Monitoring
(Diploma thesis, Tilo Przykop, 2003)
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| Further recent projects related to other fields
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- Development of an E-Tutor for CAD Courses
(Undergraduate research project, Andrei Bratuhin, 2009)
- Design of E-Learning Software for Automated Creation of Self-Learning Exercises as an Interactive Extension of a CAD System
(Undergraduate research project, Irina Popova & Kateryna Shapir, 2009)
- Implementation and Evaluation of Graphical Interaction Components for Modeling and Simulation of 2-Epoch-Buildings
(Undergraduate research project, 2009)
- Development of a Modeling Logic for Interactive Construction and Visualization of Complex Engineering Structures by the Example of 2-Epoch-Buildings
(Undergraduate research project, 2009)
- Development of Efficient Algorithms for Automated Generation of Design Drawings based on Heterogeneous Data Sets
(Undergraduate research project, 2009)
- CAD-based Adaptive Modeling of 2-Epoch-Buildings for Cross-medial Representation
(Graduate seminar project, 2009)
- A CAD-based Software System for Time-discrete Progress Simulation of the Erection of Office Buildings under Consideration of Economic Boundary Conditions
(Bachelor thesis, Marco Hill, 2009)
- A Graphical Interaction Component for Planning the Destruction of Civil Engineering Buildings
(Undergraduate research project, 2008)
- CAD-supported Destruction Planning for Office Buildings
(Graduate seminar project, 2008)
- 5-dimensional Progress Simulation of Erecting Office Buildings
(Graduate seminar project, 2007)
- Automated Planning and Design of Sewage Plants
(Graduate seminar project, 2005)
- Computer-aided Processing of Complex Engineering Projects
(Undergraduate research project, 2004)
- Interactive, CAD-based Design of Multifunctional Stadiums
(Graduate seminar project, 2004)
- Interactive, CAD-based Design of Rope Bridges
(Graduate seminar project, 2003)
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