Althen Sensors & Controls with Smartbrick advances to next stage in innovation competition for monitoring bridges and quay walls for municipality of Amsterdam

In mid-2020, the City of Amsterdam and RVO invited enterprising Netherlands to submit an innovative proposal to measure the area of bridges and quays more often, faster and cheaper. Of the 43 submissions, eight companies are through to the second phase.

Each company will receive 12,500 euros to conduct a feasibility study and further develop their concept. According to the evaluation committee, the eight winning entries were all high level, highly innovative and achievable. For this innovation tender, Althen started developing a new IoT sensor specifically suited for affordable monitoring of quays and bridges under the name: Smartbrick. In addition to Althen, the eight winning companies for the feasibility study are: Antea group, Bam Infra + Rezzona, Fugro, IV Infra, Sensar, SHM Next and Villari.

Smartbrick

The Smartbrick detects and monitors the main movements a wharf or bridge may make and transmits this data directly wirelessly to an online control center. This makes it possible to set appropriate maintenance priorities. Althen has currently realized the first prototype and will continue the development in order to literally contribute to a safe and accessible Amsterdam.

Technical soundness and innovative impact

Criteria for the selection included promising, achievable, innovative and applicable in an inner-city environment. Frits van Loenen, rail systems engineer at ProRail and member of the evaluation committee says enthusiastically, "I was pleasantly surprised by the high level of proposals and expertise. All the proposals were strongly focused on data collection. The really innovative thing is that far-reaching techniques such as photogrammetry, 3D laser scanning, distance measurements from a floating platform and satellite imagery are used to go a step further than just managing a large amount of data. The data contribute to technical inspections that should lead to constructive assessment, advice and prediction of risks. My colleague on the assessment committee Agnieszka Bigaj-Van Vliet put it very aptly with "deepen, sharpen and better assess the risk profile. I can only heartily agree. The challenge is in translating the technology so that others can make an informed decision about, for example, a measure, frequent monitoring, repair or renewal."

Sharpening risk profile

Indeed, that is one of the aspects on which Agnieszka Bigaj-Van Vliet, senior scientist integrator at TNO-TU Delft, also assessed the proposals. "It goes beyond measurement," she explains. "The solutions must support the municipality of Amsterdam to be able to make statements about the area. The data must become meaningful and contribute to the assessment of risk." She says she was impressed by the diversity of the proposals, the extent to which the companies really immersed themselves in the Amsterdam context as well as the innovative strength. "I also saw that people have thought carefully about what is realistic and what are critical components. That inspires confidence in the innovativeness and professionalism of the teams that will now do the feasibility study."

Market and science interaction

These new solutions are an extension of applied scientific research. "Sometimes academic innovations do not find their way to the market so quickly and it is difficult for market parties to take knowledge from science," Agnieszka Bigaj-Van Vliet explains. "With this competition, it is precisely achieved that the market takes steps to advance knowledge gained in science. And you see an interaction through the knowledge transfer that takes place between the knowledge institutions and the market. I find that very positive."

How to proceed

In early 2021, the companies will start their activities for the feasibility study, supported by the City of Amsterdam and RVO (Rijksdienst Voor Ondernemend Nederland). In mid-April they will complete the research and make a proposal on the further development of their technique. Then a new evaluation round will follow from which four companies will be allowed to further test and validate the solution at pilot locations of the municipality of Amsterdam. They will each receive a budget of up to €100,000 for this purpose (including VAT). This is phase 2, which lasts from June 2021 to June 2022.

About Althen Sensors & Controls
Confidence for visionary engineers: Althen Sensors & Controls provides assurance and confidence to its customers. We ensure that the customer does not have to worry when it comes to sensors and measurement solutions. By sitting at the table of our partners and customers as a sensor partner, we help build tomorrow's technology. We provide standard and custom sensors, measurement systems and instrumentation for Test & Measurement, OEM and IIoT applications for all types of industries.

Althen has offices in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, France and the United States.