The application of WiFi-based wireless sensor network (WSN) in hill slope condition monitoring

Abstract

In this paper, a wireless sensor network for landslide monitoring (WSNLM) system is described. WSNLM utilized a wireless protocol which is 802.11g. The hardware structure of the WSNLM is discussed where the important parts had been discussed in details. In order to assess the susceptibility of a hill slope to landslide, several parameters had been considered for the network. The important factors that affect landslide is the ground status, which is soil moisture, vibration in the land and also soil temperature. Other factors that can relate to landslide is the environment of the surrounding such as air temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure. The outputs from the ADXL335 accelerometer were used for slope angle measurement. The output of a vibration transducer was also used to monitor the hill slope. To account for the susceptibility of the hill slope to the land slide, safety factor value is calculated in real time. The outcomes show that the average moisture content in the soil is around 3% on a sunny day and the safety factor for a sunny day is around 75. The moisture content in the soil on a rainy day increases tremendously to more than 20%. At the same time, the safety factor drops to around 70. The system in this paper has the potential to be used as a useful tool for the detection of lanslides.