An Internet-Enabled Wireless Multi-Sensor System for Continuous Monitoring of Landslide Processes

Abstract

Monitoring and early warning systems, although being capable of continuously collecting field data related to landslide processes, are usually unable to autonomously detect and analyze signs of landslides in real time. This paper presents the design and experimental implementation of an autonomous landslide monitoring system. Besides reliably issuing early warnings in case of detected slope anomalies, the monitoring system is primarily designed to support human individuals in assessing the risk of landslide and to improve the understanding of the slope behavior, which may help to reduce economic losses and fatalities caused by landslides. Specifically, intelligent wireless sensor nodes are distributed in the observed slope to autonomously collect, analyze and communicate relevant environmental parameters in real time. Supporting remote analyses of the collected field data, a web application, which is installed on a computer connected to the on-site sensor nodes, enables an automated dissemination of slope parameters through the Internet. Last but not least, geospatial information stemming from external sources is integrated into the monitoring system to provide a comprehensive overview of landslide-related slope conditions.