Phones can tell you when a bridge will collapse, research shows

Mobile data collected from your mobile phone can help researchers evaluate bridge protection. This is a new technology proposal developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

According to experts, the signals transmitted by our portable devices carry information about vibration conditions as we pass by a bridge. By collecting these data, it is possible to make an analysis about the conditions of the building.

These vibrations are called modal frequencies, and they change over time as bridges wear. The researchers tested the algorithm at the Golden Gate, an iconic building in the US state of California that connects the cities of San Francisco and Sausalito. Testing was done in collaboration with application drivers.

The results were very close to the data displayed by conventional sensors used to assess the quality of the build, showing that the new technology could replace the use of these often expensive devices. Data from smartphones is cheap, bulky, and ubiquitous.

To validate the results, the scientists also tested the algorithm on a smaller bridge in Ciampino, Italy, which, unlike the Golden Gate, has a concrete structure. Here, the calculations also combined with the numbers reported by the sensors, demonstrating the versatility of applications of the new method.

Experts estimate that monitoring via passenger cell phones can increase the lifespan of bridges by up to 30%. However, the technology still needs to be improved before it is released to the public. The results are only published in pre-release form without review by other experts in the field.

ARTICLE Arxiv: doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2211.01363