Jane Edwards
BAE Systems has developed a Bluetooth-based sensor system designed to determine the stress and strain on military bridging platforms.
The wireless system uses a set of sensors attached to bridge components to record strain readings for computer analysis and transmit data to warfighters in order to determine bridge parts that need to be replaced or undergo maintenance, BAE said Tuesday.
Engineers at BAE’s U.K.-based bridge test facility have begun to test the wireless platform to simulate crossings of combat tanks and other vehicles in an effort to evaluate the service life of military bridging systems.
“The biggest obstacle to monitoring bridge health is achieving a continuous flow of accurate data telling you what the bridge is experiencing,†said John Lees, bridging business manager for BAE’s systems land business in the U.K.
Lees added that the Bluetooth-based sensor works to assess the condition of deployable military bridges to facilitate their use in disaster relief missions and other civilian operations.
