Developed by an Italian company, SHBox is a device that measures the structural conditions of a public work and signals possible anomalies
There are many structures in Italy that are in critical condition and that, as recent news cases show, can collapse at any moment. At the hydrogeological level, the Italian territory is very fragile and the lack of respect for building regulations undoubtedly increases the risks.
Consequently, it would be appropriate, especially with regard to public works, to monitor the state of buildings, roads and bridges and thus avoid facing announced tragedies. Sysdev, an Italian company that has been working in the information technology sector for years, has developed a smart system that could help prevent collapses. It is a device Internet of Things that allows real-time monitoring of oscillations, structural failures and variations of a building, fundamental signs to understand if the work is at risk of collapse. SHBox, this is the name chosen by the company for the device, uses wireless sensors, a network to collect data and a cloud platform to store the information.
How SHBox Works
The infrastructure black box, as Sysdev defines it, is very simple to install and works thanks to a series of small, low-cost sensors. The SHBox system is able to record movements and vibrations, signaling in real time if the structure has any anomaly. The data is sent through long-range transmitters and is stored in the cloud platform, from which, thanks to the information collected, it will be possible to assess the health of the building, which can also be navigated thanks to the 3D representation of the data acquired by the sensors.
Possible uses
The device has a large margin of use and could help prevent the collapse of many works and, therefore, save many lives. It could be used to monitor the condition of schools, roads, bridges and many public buildings, especially in areas with high hydrogeological risk.