Piezoelectric sensors measure changes in pressure, acceleration, temperature, strain or force and are often limited by the “white noise” they detect that can give engineers false readings.

Now, a University of Missouri College of Engineering research team has developed methods to enhance piezoelectric sensing capabilities. Enhanced sensors could be used to improve aviation, detect structural damage in buildings and bridges and boost the capabilities of health monitors.

The new sensing platform can be “tuned” using an electric signal, which when connected to circuit boards with sensors can pick up weaker signals that previously could not be detected. Image credit: Ryan Owens. A new platform developed by Guoliang Huang, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and colleagues improves piezoelectric sensors by amplifying their signal, allowing the same number of sensors to read more data. Their new device also cuts costs by allowing fewer sensors to cover larger structures and longer distances.

“In the past, methods to produce signal intensification only have included electrical amplification,” Huang says. “Our technique uses a combination of mechanical and electrical amplification, overcoming the limitations of using just electrical amplification.”

The new sensing platform can be “tuned” using an electric signal, which when connected to circuit boards with sensors can pick up weaker signals that previously could not be detected.

“The amplified wave cuts through the surrounding noise,” Huang says. “It’s the first such device that illustrates how to use adaptive metamaterials to improve elastic wave-sensing capabilities. This can be very useful to developing high-sensitivity sensing technology.”