Low-Cost and High-Performance Solution for Positioning and Monitoring of Large Structures

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2022-02, Vol.22 (5), p.1788
• Main Authors: de Alteriis, Giorgio, Conte, Claudia, Caputo, Enzo, Chiariotti, Paolo, Accardo, Domenico, Cigada, Alfredo, Schiano Lo Moriello, Rosario
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accelerometers; Accuracy; Attitude stability; Bias; Biomechanical Phenomena; Coordinate transformations; Economic aspects; Estimates; Fiber optics; Global positioning systems; GPS; GPS-RTK correction; inertial measurement unit; Inertial platforms; Kalman filtering; Kalman filters; MEMS sensors; Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems; Microelectromechanical systems; Monitoring; Monitoring systems; Offshore platforms; position and attitude estimation; Real time; Reproducibility of Results; Sensors; Systems stability; Velocity
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s22051788

Systems for accurate attitude and position monitoring of large structures, such as bridges, tunnels, and offshore platforms are changing in recent years thanks to the exploitation of sensors based on Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) as an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). Currently adopted solutions are, in fact, mainly based on fiber optic sensors (characterized by high performance in attitude estimation to the detriment of relevant costs large volumes and heavy weights) and integrated with a Global Position System (GPS) capable of providing low-frequency or single-update information about the position. To provide a cost-effective alternative and overcome the limitations in terms of dimensions and position update frequency, a suitable solution and a corresponding prototype, exhibiting performance very close to those of the traditional solutions, are presented and described hereinafter. The solution leverages a real-time Kalman filter that, along with the proper features of the MEMS inertial sensor and Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS, allows achieving performance in terms of attitude and position estimates suitable for this kind of application. The results obtained in a number of tests underline the promising reliability and effectiveness of the solution in estimating the attitude and position of large structures. In particular, several tests carried out in the laboratory highlighted high system stability; standard deviations of attitude estimates as low as 0.04° were, in fact, experienced in tests conducted in static conditions. Moreover, the prototype performance was also compared with a fiber optic sensor in tests emulating actual operating conditions; differences in the order of a few hundredths of a degree were found in the attitude measurements.