International collaborative research and education on smart sensors and monitoring technologies

This paper presents recent international collaborative activities on research and education for smart sensors and monitoring technologies in the Asia-Pacific region. More specifically, it covers (1) an USKorea Joint Research on Bridge Health Monitoring Test Beds, (2) an US-Korea-Japan Joint Research on Jindo cable-stayed bridge SHM Test Bed Project, and (3) Asia-Pacific Summer School on Smart Structures Technology. The objectives of the international activities are to promote international collaborations in the development on the emerging subjects of smart structure technologies and to provide an opportunity to students to develop cross-cultural understanding for their future professional career development through on-site living and studying engagement. The joint researches focus on the field validation of new smart sensors and monitoring technologies, including smart wireless sensor network, wireless impedance-based sensor nodes, reference-free damage detection using piezoelectric sensors, piezoelectric paint sensors, elasto-magnetic sensors for cable tension monitoring, and low-cost vision-based deflection measurement system. The summer school is one of the international education activities organized by ANCRiSST (Asia-Pacific Network of Centers for Research in Smart Structures Technology). It is a 5 year program among Korea, US, Japan, and China. The first one was hosted by KAIST, Korea in 2008. The second one was held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009. The three weeks programs consisted of lectures, labs, site visits, and cultural tours. About 50 graduate students were attended in each year. The students learned smart structures technologies in an interactive setting, and gained valuable experience of global engagement in a culturally rich learning environment.