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A highly compact laser-scanning device that can be used as an in situ detection and monitoring device for metal fatigue is described. A prototype is built on a Mica2 wireless sensor mote platform with TinyOS-based firmware. This device is shown to be capable of detecting fatigue-related changes in the surface bidirectional reflectance distribution (BRDF) of an aluminum test coupon, and detectable changes in BRDF are measured at a very early stage of fatigue development, when no cracks larger than 50 µm in length have yet developed at the monitored location. The system power requirements are compatible with standard sensor mote architectures such as the Mica and Telos series, enabling the potential for multiyear lifetimes without battery replacement. Such an in situ optical fatigue sensor could be used in a variety of structural health monitoring applications, including aerospace, rail transport, and civil structures.
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Benjamin D. Buckner (2008) studied this question.
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