Sensor fusion in an ad-hoc Multi-Hop Sensor network for real-time monitoring of

landslides endangering human infrastructures

Arnhardt, C. (1), Fernández-Steeger, T.M. (1)

(1) Department of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen University

In the most mountainous regions of the world, landslides represent one major threat to
human life, properties and their infrastructures. The combination of increasing anthropogenic
activities and growing urbanization, but also the uncontrolled land use in many countries,
with climatic changes leads to a vulnerability rise to population and infrastructures (KALSNES
et al., 2008). This development is not only a specific problem to the high mountain areas of
the world but also the low mountain range of Germany and Europe. Since 2001 landslides
and rockfalls along the German railway track at the Rhine and Moselle valleys were and are
the reason for stabilization and monitoring programs in this area, with costs more than 100
million Euros (KRAUTER, 2004). Especially existing monitoring systems for early warning are
often monolithic systems that are very cost-intensive considering installation as well as
operational and personal expenses. A very complex emergency plan is usually executed in
case of warning. Therefore the improvement of existing and the development of new
monitoring and warning systems are necessary for a better protection of life and property.

The joint project “Sensor based Landslide Early Warning Systems” (SLEWS), that is part of
the special DFG / BMBF program “Early Warning in Earth Management”, deals with the
development of a prototypic Alarm- and Early Warning system (EWS) for different types of
landslides using wireless sensor networks and low cost but precise microsensors.

The progressive technical developments and the more powerful computer systems allow the
integration of microsensors, CPU´s, wireless communication units and independent energy
sources in very small and low priced so called Sensor nodes (or motes). The combination of
numerous Sensor nodes leads to a wireless sensor network (WSN), which enables the
monitoring of different phenomena in a wide area (SOHRABY et al., 2007). Modern, so called
Ad-Hoc wireless sensor networks (WSN) are characterized by a self organization and self-
healing capacity of the system (autonomous systems). Different nodes of the WSN can
interact with neighbor nodes and perform simple data processing. Data packages from each
node are sent via radio directly or over other nodes (Multi Hop) to a collection point
(gateway).

For the detection and monitoring of the different landslide processes, low-cost and small-
sized measuring sensors from automotive industry, with standardized industrial interfaces
are integrated on special developed sensorboards into the WSN. Based on the so called
MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technology, the sensors combine very small
mechanical and electronic units, sensing elements and transducers on a small microchip.
Acceleration sensors, tiltmeter, and pressure sensors are currently integrated in the sensor
network and are tested in realistic experiments. In addition precise displacement and linear
transducer are used for extension and convergence measurements.

The Fusion (i.e. combination and comparison) of all sensor data contributes to the decision
making of alarm and early warning systems and allows a better interpretation of data. It
enhances the ability to identify malfunctions and to reduce false alarm rates, while increasing
data quality at the same time. The correlation of different (complementary sensorfusion) but
also same sensor-types (redundant sensorfusion) permits a higher data control. The
development of special algorithms allows in a further analyzing and evaluation process the
combination of data from all nodes of the network (sensor node fusion). The combination of
their data is a substantial improvement in comparison to today existing EWS. Open
structures of the system allow a very rapid and flexible adjustment to changed conditions and
permit a simple linkage also with other data sources (e.g. climate data) or other sensor
networks (network fusion). The Monitoring system described here is characterized by a very,
flexible structure, cost efficiency and high fail-safe level. The application of WSN in
combination with low-cost, but precise micro-sensors provides an inexpensive and easy to
set up intelligent monitoring system for spatial data gathering in large areas.

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