Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
Sensors (Basel). 2018 Jan 16;18(1):243. doi: 10.3390/s18010243.
Visualization of sensor networks, data, and metadata is becoming one of the most pivotal aspects of the structural health monitoring (SHM) process. Without the ability to communicate efficiently and effectively between disparate groups working on a project, an SHM system can be underused, misunderstood, or even abandoned. For this reason, this work seeks to evaluate visualization techniques in the field, identify flaws in current practices, and devise a new method for visualizing and accessing SHM data and metadata in 3D. More precisely, the work presented here reflects a method and digital workflow for integrating SHM sensor networks, data, and metadata into a virtual reality environment by combining spherical imaging and informational modeling. Both intuitive and interactive, this method fosters communication on a project enabling diverse practitioners of SHM to efficiently consult and use the sensor networks, data, and metadata. The method is presented through its implementation on a case study, Streicker Bridge at Princeton University campus. To illustrate the efficiency of the new method, the time and data file size were compared to other potential methods used for visualizing and accessing SHM sensor networks, data, and metadata in 3D. Additionally, feedback from civil engineering students familiar with SHM is used for validation. Recommendations on how different groups working together on an SHM project can create SHM virtual environment and convey data to proper audiences, are also included.
传感器网络、数据和元数据的可视化正成为结构健康监测 (SHM) 过程中最重要的方面之一。如果不同项目组之间无法高效、有效地进行沟通，那么 SHM 系统可能会未被充分利用、被误解，甚至被放弃。出于这个原因，这项工作旨在评估领域中的可视化技术，找出当前实践中的缺陷，并设计一种新的方法，以便在 3D 中可视化和访问 SHM 数据和元数据。更确切地说，这里介绍的工作反映了一种将 SHM 传感器网络、数据和元数据集成到虚拟现实环境中的方法和数字工作流程，该方法结合了球形成像和信息建模。这种方法直观且交互性强，促进了项目中的沟通，使不同的 SHM 从业者能够高效地咨询和使用传感器网络、数据和元数据。该方法通过在普林斯顿大学校园的 Streicker 桥案例研究中实施来呈现。为了说明新方法的效率，将其与用于在 3D 中可视化和访问 SHM 传感器网络、数据和元数据的其他潜在方法的时间和数据文件大小进行了比较。此外，还使用熟悉 SHM 的土木工程学生的反馈进行了验证。还包括了关于不同的 SHM 项目组如何共同创建 SHM 虚拟环境并将数据传达给合适的受众的建议。
