Abstract
An integrated sensor for the measurement and monitoring of position and inclination, characterized by low cost, small size and low weight, has been designed, realized and calibrated at the Geomatics Lab of the University of Calabria. The design of the prototype, devoted to the monitoring of landslides and structures, was aiming at realizing a fully automated monitoring instrument, able to send the data acquired periodically or upon request by a control center through a bidirectional transmission protocol. The sensor can be released with different accuracy and range of measurement, by choosing bubble vials with different characteristics. The instrument is provided with a computer, which can be programmed so as to independently perform the processing of the data collected by a single sensor or a by a sensor network, and to transmit, consequently, alert signals if the thresholds determined by the monitoring center are exceeded. The bidirectional transmission also allows the users to vary the set of the monitoring parameters (time of acquisition, duration of satellite acquisitions, thresholds for the observed data). In the paper, hardware and software of the sensor are described, along with the calibration, the results of laboratory tests and of the first in field acquisitions.
Highlights
Tilt and positioning sensors have been always used for monitoring landslides and structures [1,2].The use of geodetic methods for this purpose can be tracked back to its roots in Switzerland in the early years of the 20th century [3,4]
Tools based on the use of a commercial Digital Versatile Disc burner (DVD) pickup head as the angle sensor have been created [1]
It is possible to transmit, along with the data collected by the sensors, alert signals if the thresholds determined by the monitoring center are exceeded
Summary
Tilt and positioning sensors have been always used for monitoring landslides and structures [1,2]. With reference to the above described characteristics of an ideal sensor, the POIS sensor displays the following features: (a) the cost of the hardware components is about 400 $, the final price could be one order of magnitude less than that of the current high-end electronic instruments; (b) the dimensions are about 14 × 14 × 10 cm, and the weight is about 250 g; (c) tilt can be measured in two directions; (d) sensors with different range and accuracy can be released; (e) the sensor can work in stand-alone mode or as a network node; (f) the sensor can be fixed to a rod to be grounded, or it can be fastened to a structure; (g) the georeferencing can be performed through the integrated GPS receiver;. (6) the first in-field data acquisitions and their discussion
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