Researchers adapt aircraft sensor for multiple uses

The sensor could report a dangerous level of impact to a football helmet on a player who shows no signs of a concussion, prevent a passport from being read by thieves, or even tell you if someone has tampered with your wine or prescription drugs.

Kauffman and senior research physicist Doug Wolf created the SMART (Status and Motion Activated Radiofrequency Tag) sensor under FAA funding for use in ’smart clamps’ to hold aircraft wiring in place.

Designed to replace traditional clamps, the new technology uses a simple radiofrequency identification (RFID) tag that will ’talk’ to a handheld reader if a clamp has been compromised, putting the wires - and thus the aircraft - at risk.

A typical commercial aircraft has miles of wiring secured in bundles by hundreds of thousands of clamps, Kauffman said. By keeping bundled wire secure and out of the way, the clamps also keep wires from rubbing against one another or against the aircraft fuselage - which could lead to a break in the insulation. An exposed wire could prove catastrophic because of its potential for sparking, especially if it is in the presence of fuel.