Wood as a Weight Sensor for Detecting People in a Wood-Frame Building
This project investigates the use of wood as a scale, so that people in a wood-frame building can be detected in real time (e.g., for intruder detection and energy conservation) and creating "smart" buildings.
Project description
The ability of wood to serve as a weight sensor is investigated, with an application being the sensing of people in a wood-frame building. For example, when an intruder enters a wood-frame building, the intruder is sensed due to his weight. In addition, the weight of a room relates to the room occupancy, which can be used to control the heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting for the purpose of saving energy. The use of cameras for room occupancy monitoring is not desirable, due to privacy concerns. Furthermore, cameras have limited fields of view, so the detection of people (e.g., intruders) is not completely reliable. The science behind this ability of wood is based on the effect of load on the capacitance of the wood.
Project outcome
The project outcome will be experimental results on the effectiveness of wood as a weight sensor. The results will include the effect of various load levels on the capacitance of wood. The results will probably be publishable in a professional journal.
Project details
| Length of commitment | About a semester (3-5 months) |
| Start time | Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer |
| In-person, remote, or hybrid? | In-person |
| Level of collaboration | Individual student project |
| Benefits | Academic Credit |
| Who is eligible | Juniors and Seniors who have taken MAE381 |
Project mentor
Deborah Chung
Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Phone: (716) 645-3977
Email: ddlchung@buffalo.edu
Start the project
- Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
- After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.)
Preparation activities
Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase.
View the videos listed below concerning smart buildings, smart building materials, and capacitance:
Keywords
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering