Use of Micro-electromechanical Systems Inertial Sensors as a Geotechnical Monitoring Method for Slope Deformation

The rapid growth of performance and cost reduction of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) make it possible to apply inertial sensors to slope deformation monitoring. In this paper, we propose a slope deformation monitoring means that measures and tracks displacements and movements without external georeferencing. The inertial measurement unit (IMU) consists of triaxial accelerometers and gyroscopes, which measure linear acceleration and rotational rate, respectively. It can be deployed either on the slope surface or underground. Applying the inertial navigation algorithms, we can achieve not only the velocity but also the attitude and position of the observed target. Unlike most of the existing deformation geotechnical measuring methods, the provided method measures the deformation of a slope until it fails, and allows continuing movement surveillance after the failure, which facilitates the local authorities in the implementation of effective and sustainable mitigation measures. This method can be combined with global navigation satellite system (GNSS) to achieve a monitoring scheme for the whole process of slope deformation. Making use of the measurements appropriately, we can derive the deformation or displacement at different phases of the slope deformation process.