Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Dryver R. Huston

Abstract

This study describes a cyber-physical framework for designing and evaluating cyber-physical systems (CPS) for the particular application of structural health monitoring (SHM) and maintenance including human-building interactions. This framework enables the design, performance, overall feasibility, economic viability, quantification of CPS. Sensing and assessment for repair and maintenance of infrastructure requires direct interaction between buildings and humans. Items of concern are structural issues, mechanical system failures, structural changes, cracks, etc. While the assessment of buildings for maintenance is a human activity that dates back to antiquity, much of it normally requires skill and training that is beyond the grasp of the typical user. Furthermore, many items of distress lie hidden beneath walls and floors. It may be possible to alleviate these sensing, assessment, and maintenance challenges using advanced technologies that collect data, transmit it through wireless networks, and reformulate it in manners best understood by humans. In the end, this study examines 14 cases of different CPS in SHM ranging from interactions through the use of networked smart technologies including microrobots, robots, wireless sensors, machine learning, computer vision, and augmented reality to evaluate and compare them based on the proposed metrics.

For this purpose, visual feedback in an array of devices, including AR headsets, phones, and PCs, in the context of CPS using wireless sensors and robotic systems for SHM, is offered. Despite the several advantages these devices offer, their challenges in the CPS setting such as high latency and lag, render them unsuitable for scenarios that necessitate prompt feedback and control. Using wireless networks, the data should be transmitted at a sufficient rate, to enable near real-time edge processing. To address this issue, methods for measuring latency and multiple local wireless network options are recommended. By comparing outcomes across a variety of scenarios, including AR headsets, microrobots, small-scale camera boards, and processors, optimal pathways to reduce latency are determined.

Furthermore, advanced recent technologies and challenges for microrobot design and development are reviewed and innovative microrobots and robots for home maintenance framework and SHM applications namely, micro augmented reality steering bot and non-destructive robotic surface material analysis are proposed. Additionally, different methods of integrating novel CPS such as swarm microrobot structural damage analysis and semantic segmentations of cracks are introduced and incorporated in real-world applications. The details of each application in the field are elaborated and their challenges in terms of CPS perspective are investigated. To solve the challenges, novel metrics for cyber-physical approaches in SHM applications are recommended. Each system is evaluated in terms of performance, feasibility, and economic models. The proposed framework analysis has the potential to assist users in improving their CPS such as swarms of heterogenous robots, wireless networks, sensors, and microrobots utilizing augmented reality and AI with the recommended metrics and scoring models. This will suggest superior performance and enable them to compare the hardware, wireless network, and software which will help them to select the desired system for their SHM applications.

Language

en

Number of Pages

433 p.

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Available for download on Thursday, July 30, 2026

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