StoneNode: A low-power sensor device for induced rockfall experiments

Spontaneous occurring rockfalls are a serious danger, especially nowadays as global warming leads to a retrogression of the permafrost, which stabilized terrain in mountainous regions. In order to perform risk assessments and develop mitigation strategies, advanced simulation tools and models have been developed over the last years. These models come with many parameters and need to be calibrated and validated with real-world data to produce reliable estimates. To this end, we developed StoneNode, a rugged, small, low-power sensor device which can be embedded into boulders to measure accelerations and angular velocities. The node employs low-power MEMS sensors with high dynamic range and has a maximum operating time of more than 56 h. First field experiments confirm that the StoneNode is a reliable, easy-to-use device, which greatly facilitates the data acquisition process.