Implementation of a landslide monitoring system as a wireless sensor network

Landslides have always been one of the most catastrophic natural phenomena. Continuous monitoring and warning as early as possible about the beginning of such a disaster may lead to avoidance of losses of human lives. With this aim, we have developed a monitoring system structured as a wireless sensor network equipped with very sensitive transducers, capable of measuring in real time the direction and magnitude of soil layers displacements with resolutions less than 1 mm. Beside the above two parameters, the system is able to estimate the degree of glide of the subsurface soil layers owed to its possibility of in-depth measurement. The transducer is conceived as an inclinometer possessing as sensitive elements highly sensitive strain gages developed by our team on the basis of magnetic effects occurring in amorphous magnetic microwires. More such transducers are mounted on a certain area known in advance as a landslide-prone and connected in a network able to wirelessly communicate and transmit on-line data to a monitoring center. Details related to network construction, as well as on the involved protocols are provided in the paper.