The Research and Development of a Sensing System for the Road Infrastructure Monitoring System proposed by the NMEMS Technology Research Organization (hereinafter referred to as “NMEMS”) as part of the Robot and Sensor System Development Project for Infrastructure Maintenance and Disaster Survey commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) selected for implementation.

　Of Japan’s social infrastructures, road infrastructure comprises 92.3% (245.1 billion ton-kilometers) of land freight transportation volume (265.5 billion ton-kilometers). Targeting this road infrastructure, which supports the enriched everyday living of people in Japan, a Road Infrastructure Monitoring System (RIMS) will be developed initially for expressways, to be expanded in future to general roads, based on the roads’ degree of impact on the general public’s everyday living and the status of their maintenance systems.

　Our system will supplement existing inspection technology, utilizing a wireless sensor network to enable 24-hour continuous and comprehensive knowledge of the status of road infrastructure. It is also suitable for monitoring locations that are difficult to access and responding to sudden phenomena such as disasters. NMEMS will construct a user-participation research system through industry-academia-government collaboration comprising sensor device/system/packaging manufacturers, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), universities, expressway companies, and other organizations, with the R&D being conducted over a five-year period beginning this fiscal year. We ask for the kind cooperation and support of everyone involved in this endeavor.

July 2014
NMEMS Technology Research Organization

This research is aimed at developing new compact, high-performance, wireless sensor terminals suitable for monitoring the condition of bridges, road equipment, slopes, and targets in other fields. The sensor terminals will be highly efficient, durable, and inexpensive and will employ a stand-alone power supply that harvests ambient energy. These terminals will be used to construct a Road Infrastructure Monitoring System (RIMS) for the total, integrated maintenance of road infrastructure. Development is being streamlined by establishing common platforms for wireless communication networks and highly durable packaging technology.