Delta X

Inspiration

When considering safety in architecture, we were inspired by the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and began exploring ways to improve safety systems for large infrastructure. We focused on the limitations of underwater bridge inspections, which often rely on human divers and can be costly, time-consuming, and prone to blind spots.

What it does

Our idea, Delta X, is a "Fitbit for aging bridge foundations.” Low-cost ultrasonic thickness sensors are installed on underwater bridge foundations during dives that are already scheduled. They are designed to me cheap and modular, such that they can be manufactured easily and quickly, and not be limited by the size of infrastructure. Our software turns readings from these sensors into a corrosion rate, a "years until action" estimate for each site, and a ranked priority list for engineers.

How we built it

Research: Sources from FHWA, the NTSB and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, plus an in-depth conversation with our civil engineer advisor. Prototype: A dashboard using simulated readings based on published corrosion rates, clearly labeled as simulated. Business model: Bottom-up market sizing from inspection counts and costs, a cost build-up for the sensors, and bulk-purchase pricing tiers.

Challenges we ran into

Our main challenge was that a lot of infrastructure is designed at a large scale, and resources for startups can be limited. We looked at various problems in physical infrastructure, and in areas that do not have a significant amount of attention. Consulting with experts in the field also gave us a better understanding of the problem, and allowed us to determine whether our solution is reasonable.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Over the course of the weekend, our group explored, analysed, and ultimately moved on from several potential ideas. We conducted field research into sustainability to gain a deeper understanding of user needs and venue insights, only to discover that our initial concept did not provide enough value for the customer. Although it was challenging to let go of an idea we had invested time in, the process helped us better understand the problem space and refine our direction. We are proud that, through these setbacks and iterations, we identified a valuable problem worth tackling and developed a working demonstration of a potential solution.

What we learned

We went down many rabbit holes in search for a viable project that can contribute to improving many different kinds of infrastructure. We discovered competitors doing very cool research in these fields, as well as very competitive startups developing advanced technologies that has the potential to significantly improve many problems with current infrastructure. Honorable mentions go to cool things we learnt along the way, namely new physics concepts, acoustic coupling, muon tomography, lots of science, cool future projects to pursue, and video editing.

What's next for Delta X

Our next steps would be to ask industry experts what we can do to improve underwater monitoring, and if a modular sensing system would make detecting corrosion easier, and ultimately improve the lifespan of large structures.