--- title: "Development of Pile-type Sensor Pods for Monitoring Civil Engineering Sites" url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/jaden/projects/development-of-pile-type-sensor-pods-for-monitoring-civil-engineering-sites/" markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/jaden/projects/development-of-pile-type-sensor-pods-for-monitoring-civil-engineering-sites/md" type: "UCC: User Created Content" author: "Tomoya Kouno" editor: "WIZnet" editor_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/" original_author: "Tomoya Kouno" published: "2025-07-30" language: "en" likes: 0 views: 1988 comments: 0 source: "WIZnet Makers (https://maker.wiznet.io/)" --- # Development of Pile-type Sensor Pods for Monitoring Civil Engineering Sites > Sensor Pods for Monitoring Civil Engineering Sites Original author: Tomoya Kouno ## Article **Development of a Sensor Pod for Civil Construction Site Monitoring- Part III: Improvements and Performance Verification of the Pile-Type Sensor Pod -Authors:** Tomoya Kono (Kyushu University), Ryuichi Maeda (Kyushu University), Kohei Matsumoto (Kyushu University), Kazuto Nakashima (Kyushu University), Ryo Kurazume (Kyushu University) --- ### **Overview** This research focuses on developing a **pile-type sensor pod** designed for monitoring conditions at civil engineering and construction sites. The sensor pod consists of a pile structure, two multicore microcontrollers, two 220° cameras, a GNSS receiver, and a vibration sensor. The latest study reports on: **Improved waterproof housing** for enhanced durability. **Software enhancements** to improve communication stability. **Validation of vibration sensor data accuracy** for evaluating ground strength. --- ### **Introduction** Japan frequently faces severe natural disasters, such as typhoons and earthquakes, resulting in devastating damage. Consequently, **advanced emergency recovery technologies** are increasingly essential to minimize damage. Our research team is developing **"cooperative AI robots"** capable of operating flexibly under challenging conditions, such as disaster sites. This technology is expected to benefit not only disaster recovery but also the construction and maintenance of ground infrastructure. Construction sites are among the most hazardous work environments, with high risks of accidents involving heavy machinery. Accurate and timely situational awareness is crucial to reduce these risks. To address this, we have been developing **multi-functional sensor pods** capable of collecting data such as terrain information, machine/robot positions, and ground strength. While we previously developed **triangular-cone-type sensor pods** and **low-cost "Petit Sensor Pods,"** these designs were not suitable for unstable or sloped terrains. To overcome these limitations, we designed a **pile-type sensor pod** that can be easily deployed by unmanned construction machinery, operates with low power, and provides long-term functionality. --- ### **Hardware and Software Improvements** #### **Hardware EnhancementsPile Fixing Mechanism:** The connection between the main body and pile has been redesigned. Instead of internal screws, an external crimping mechanism is now used for stronger fixation. **Waterproof Performance:** All network components are housed inside the enclosure, with only the cameras exposed. Cable interfaces have been fully internalized to reduce the risk of cable entanglement during machine-assisted installation. #### **Software Enhancements** The previous model required manual rebooting after communication failures. In the new model, communication interruptions are automatically recovered without rebooting, resulting in **significantly improved stability**. --- ### **Ground Strength Evaluation** The pile-type sensor pod is equipped with a **BMI270 6-axis accelerometer and gyroscope**, which was tested using the **CCV (Compaction Control Value)** method for evaluating ground strength. Key findings include: **Comparable CCV values** between the pile-mounted BMI270 and MVP-RF8 sensors. Pile-mounted sensors showed **lower CCV values** compared to ground-installed sensors, likely due to attenuation of high-frequency vibration components. Spectrogram analysis confirmed reliable measurement of the fundamental frequency (28.3Hz) and its harmonics. While high-frequency components above ~100Hz were less visible due to sampling limitations, this did not affect ground strength evaluation, as the method uses harmonics only up to 84.9Hz. --- ### **Conclusions** This study demonstrated: **Improved waterproofing and communication stability** of the pile-type sensor pod. **Validation of vibration sensor performance** for ground strength evaluation. In the future, the team plans to integrate a battery system, further refine the sensor pod, and link it to a **Cyber-Physical System (CPS)** for immersive situational awareness at construction sites. Additionally, multiple pile-type sensor pods will be deployed using unmanned construction machinery for large-scale field evaluations. --- ### **Acknowledgments** This research was partially supported by the **JST Moonshot R&D Program (Grant No. JPMJMS2032)** and technical assistance from **Sony Semiconductor Solutions**. --- ### **References** [1] Reports on Major Natural Disasters (post Hanshin-Awaji earthquake). [2] Moonshot R&D Program – CAFE Project. [3] Construction Accident Statistics – Hokuriku Regional Development Bureau. [4] … [13] (Same as original references). --- Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/jaden/projects/development-of-pile-type-sensor-pods-for-monitoring-civil-engineering-sites/