Markets
Smart Cities
Transform networks in “smart infrastructure” and/or install new generation sensors, help to solve open issues and exploit opportunities, like:
– any optical fiber immediately becomes an array of thousands costless passive sensor (no power supply);
– improve urban range coverage (10-100km range) and data accuracy (1-10m resolution);
– fiber sensors are intrinsically safe & explosion proof (no sparks or overheat even if damaged);
– fiber sensors are immune from interferences, high voltage, strong magnetic fields & lightening;
– ensures long-term durability because the fiber are extremely resistant to corrosion, water, moisture & chemicals.
– finally, fiber optic sensors allow new monitoring possibilities, impossible today with the traditional electronics
| Application | Temperature | Deformation | Acoustic noise | ||
 |
hot spot detection, dynamic power rating (overheating due to losses, poor cooling) | over-bending damages | noise by partial discharges (insulation failure), digging, drag-nets | ||
Intrusion detection |
– | micro-settlements caused by tunnel digging | noise fingerprint of footsteps, engines, fence cutting, climbing, gunshots | ||
Leak detection
 |
cold spot (water, gas via Joule effect), hot spot (leak from district heating) | voids and potential collapse created by leak washout | “whistle” from pressure leaks, “wet” change of the background noise | ||
Fire detection
 |
hot spots in tunnels & metro railway tube | deformation due to melting of plastic cable sheath | noise fingerprint of explosions, crackling due to fire burning | ||
Intergrity monitoring
 |
– | settlements, cracks, shape changes due to overload, ageing | crack noise, anomalous vibrations. | ||
Pollution patrolling
 |
anomalies in sewage & water streams from discharges, percolate leak from garbage dumps | – | Roaring noise of water stream | ||
Climate change resilience
 |
Temperature, anomalies due to flooding | soil disruption, deformation due to the weight of snow & ice | Snow-induced muffling of the background noise- | ||
| Traffic & crowd management | – | deformation induced by the weight of the vehicles | noise fingerprint from engines, rolling tyres, footsteps, riot screams → traffic density, speed, queue length, vehicle spacing, truck weight | ||
This technology will reach a multi-billion market slice, transversally covering the sensing needs for smart power grid, leak detection, traffic management, security/perimeter control, smart railway, infrastructure integrity, soil disruption, pollution detection and more. Smart grid market in particular is immediately ready for exploitation because it is already fully aware of the adoption benefits, i.e. reduction of Operational Expenses (OPEX), efficiency increase (line losses) and key contributions to energy sustainability and to the power distribution grid resilience against adverse weather events.
