Car - Powered Bridge Monitor
As was demonstrated dramatically last summer with the collapse of a highway bridge in Minneapolis, annual visual inspectioris are not sufficient to make sure static spans don't start to become, well, dynamic. Continual monitoring using remote strain sensors has been promoted as a solution.
Feel the vibration
A sensor for use on bridges that is powered by the vibrations
of vehicles passing overhead has been developed by researchers at Clarkson University in Potsdam, USA. The device,
which measures temperature, humidity, light and pressure, could function for years without requiring maintenance or battery
replacement.