Damage Detection and Smart Warning for Eventual Structure Failures in Mechatronic Systems

Structural damages could appear in any mechanical parts. New methods for their structural monitoring would be a good way to estimate structural strength and, consequently, its capacity to efficiently assist people in need, even for health recovery (surgery, severe illness cure), or for improving the lives of the visually impaired. Mechanical damages mean irreversible changes in structural characteristics. Damage when appear, may cause excessive deflection, buckling, fracture, changes in vibration eigenvalues and eigenmodes, etc. Techniques for damage detection give us warnings at the right moment on duty before any dangerous failure of the structure is triggered. Accurate localization of the damaged zone would help to act after warning so that to avoid structural failure. This study presents the concept of a smart warning system based on damage detection and damage localization techniques, as well as an intelligent control system. The studied models are mechatronic systems used in healthcare. A new parameter was developed to explore accurate information related to the parts damaged that have a higher probability of failure, referenced to the system’s users and to the medical procedures.