I-Corps: Self-sustainable Water Leak Detection System for Buildings

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project involves developing printable sensors and computational materials to create infrastructure-scale sensing surfaces. It moves sensing and computation from discrete chips and individual devices to large-scale materials that can sense, communicate, and compute with no batteries or external power. This approach solves a key challenge in modern Internet-of-Things devices, making it easier to monitor the health of physical and energy infrastructure. For example, building wraps that sense problems like leaks or mold can speed and lessen the costs of diagnosing and repairing structural or aesthetic issues. Such materials would sense and report the condition of a physical structure, proactively alert residents if some area requires maintenance, and immediately notify the owners of structural damage. This improved feedback loop would reduce the burden of maintaining $4.5 trillion worth of physical infrastructure in the United States alone by proactively directing engineers and technicians to the most vulnerable parts of a structure. Similarly, being able to ambiently sense the presence of various substances like water, oil, or carbon monoxide can have significant safety, economic, health, and environmental benefits. This I-Corps project proposes sensors that are printable, inexpensive to manufacture and purchase, and self-sustainable in terms of energy and durability. Two of our technical approaches are active, producing enough energy in the presence of various substances like water to be able to communicate the event of a leak wirelessly to a remote receiver. Another approach is passive, requiring a scan to determine a change in antenna properties to determine the presence of water. All three techniques use non-toxic materials and are inexpensive: $1.50/sq foot and lower for the sensing and power generation material, and $0.01/transmitter (passive) to $5/transmitter (active, which can be connected to multiple sensors). The goal is to design a process that can be used with standard commercial printing techniques to produce large sheets of plastic or paper (such as with building wrap) at meters per second. The resulting material is thin and flexible and easily deployed. The sensing material should last for decades allowing it to be deployed in hard-to-access locations. Prototypes and proof-of-concept devices have been shown in the lab for each approach. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.