A feasibility study of computer vision-based deformation monitoring for RC columns

This paper focuses on the feasibility study of vision-based deformation monitoring. Sparse optical flow, a computer vision technique, is often used for deformation tracking and extraction. The objective of this study is to explore the application of optical flow in concrete column deformation monitoring. The performance of the technique is compared with the traditional LVDT (Linear Variable Differential Transformer) measurement method. The experimental results show that the optical flow method can effectively extract the deformation information of concrete columns with a smaller error compared with the LVDT method, whose relative standard deviation is 1.03 mm and relative error is 1.88%, confirming the feasibility and effectiveness of the vision-based approach. This study provides a visual solution for deformation monitoring of concrete columns, and provides reference and guidance for deformation analysis and structural monitoring in related fields.