Photonics plays a pivotal role in structural health monitoring (SHM) by providing innovative solutions for the real-time assessment of the integrity and safety of structures like bridges, buildings, pipelines, and aircraft. Through the use of optical sensors, fiber optics, and laser-based technologies, photonics enables the detection of early signs of damage, strain, or fatigue in materials without the need for intrusive inspections. For example, optical fibers can be embedded in a structure to monitor changes in temperature, pressure, or deformation, offering continuous, high-resolution data on the condition of critical components. Additionally, laser-based techniques such as LIDAR or laser scanning can be used to assess surface conditions and detect minute displacements or vibrations that might indicate structural weakness. The non-contact, high-precision nature of photonic methods makes them particularly valuable for monitoring hard-to-reach or hazardous areas, reducing maintenance costs, and improving the safety and longevity of infrastructure.
In this meeting, we will give an overview of the market, applications and future developments in this field, and will understand the requirements from the end users to increase the monitoring efficiency.
Dr. Tiago Paixão, PhD in Physics Engineering with expertise in fiber optics, leads Blade Sensing Systems at SGRE, focusing on sensor development and SHM for wind turbine blades.
Dr Antreas Theodosiou is a photonics researcher and entrepreneur, founder of Lumoscribe Ltd, specializing in advanced optical fiber technologies for sensing and fiber laser applications.
Krister Fröjdh has a Ph. D. in optics from Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm and has since 1996 worked with fiber optics at and semiconductor lasers at Ericsson, Optillion, Zarlink and Proximion. He is currently head or R&D at Proximion.
Cristina Barbosa is a Civil Engineer with 20 years of experience in SHM and FBG technology. From engineering to sales, she led monitoring projects and now manage optical products at HBK, driving innovation in fiber optic sensing for infrastructure.
