SGER: Towards Real-Time Sensing and Control of Active Structures

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

Towards Real-Time Sensing and Control of Structures Principal Investigator: Mete Sozen Co-Principal Investigators: George Chiu, Ananth Grama, Christoph Hoffmann, and Ahmed Sameh The goal of this project is to develop (a) the computational infrastructure for acquisition, archival, conditioning, and interpretation of massive data and (b) algorithmic techniques for prognostic, diagnostic, and dynamic response to sensed data. The long-term goals of the include the development of smart mechanisms and computational techniques for the effective design and economical construction, for retrofitting existing structures, and prognostication of the likelihood of catastrophic failures. It is our belief that a project of this nature will provide strong impetus to the development of next generation sensing and actuation systems, as well as provide support for area-wide disaster management. The proposed project is exploratory but may have a profound impact on structural design. While there have been efforts aimed at integrating real-time sensing and fine-grained control, no clear consensus exists on whether such a design paradigm is indeed feasible. In addition to the underlying structural mechanisms, these concerns are motivated by issues of security, longevity, and power constraints associated with the computing and communications infrastructure. This exploratory project does not aim to address all of these issues, but it focuses on the core issues of building a sensing infrastructure and exploring the feasibility of robust real-time distributed control.