System and method for monitoring hydrogeological risk

An electronic device for monitoring hydrogeological phenomena adapted to detect stresses of debris flows, comprising:

• a box-shaped casing configured for resting on a side or a bank of a water course affected by passage of a debris flow;
• one or more detection elements configured to convert a mechanical signal into an electric signal characteristic of a mechanical load;
• a signal transceiver configured to transmit and receive data;
• a memory unit storing a threshold value;
• an electrical power supply source configured to supply power to the electronic device;
• a processing unit connected to each of the one or more detection elements and to said signal transceiver, the processing unit being configured to process hydrogeological risk monitoring data and comprising:
• an input module configured to receive said electric signal from each of said one or more detection elements;
• a comparison module configured to compare said electric signal with a corresponding threshold value;
• and
• a transmission module configured to transmit to the signal transceiver an alarm signal as a function of a match resulting from a comparison carried out by said comparison module;
• the electronic device further comprising a plurality of signalling legs extending to a bed of the debris flow to be monitored and being configured to transmit mechanical load acting on each of plurality of signalling legs to one of the one or more detection elements, the plurality od signalling legs extending in a spoke-like fashion outwardly rom the casing and being immersed in a bed of the water course at various heights and oriented along a substantially oblique direction or in a perpendicular direction with respect to a surface of a possible debris flow, each of the one or more detection elements being connected to one or more of the plurality of signalling legs.

A monitoring system for monitoring hydrogeological phenomena, comprising:

• at least one electronic device for monitoring hydrogeological phenomena, comprising:
• a box-shaped casing configured for resting on a control surface;
• one or more detection elements configured to convert a mechanical signal into an electric signal characteristics of a mechanical load acting on the control surface;
• a plurality of signalling legs extending in a spoke-like fashion outwardly from the casing, the plurality of signalling legs extending substantially parallel to the control surface and being configured to transmit the mechanical load acting on the control surface to one of the one or more detection elements, each of the one or more detection elements being connected to one or more of the plurality of signalling legs;
• a signal transceiver configured to transmit and receive data;
• a memory unit storing a threshold value;
• an electrical power supply source configured to power the at least one electronic device for monitoring hydrogeological phenomena;
• a processing unit connected to each of the one or more detection elements and to said signal transceiver, the processing unit being configured to process hydrogeological risk monitoring data and comprising:
• an input module configured to receive said electric signal from each of said one or more detection elements;
• a comparison module configured to compare said electric signal with a corresponding threshold value;
• and
• a transmission module configured to transmit to the signal transceiver an alarm signal as a function of match resulting from a comparison carried out by said Comparison module;
• the monitoring system further comprising a mobile or fixed interactive electronic device comprising a signal transceiver configured to receive an alarm signal indicating a hydrogeological danger status detected and transmitted to the signal transceiver of the interactive electronic device by the at least one electronic device for monitoring hydrogeological phenomena.

A method for monitoring hydrogeological phenomena, comprising the following steps:

• providing at least one electronic device for monitoring hydrogeological phenomena adapted to detect stresses of a control surface, the electronic device comprising:
• one or more detection elements configured to convert a mechanical signal into an electric signal characteristic of a mechanical load acting on the control surface;
• a plurality of signalling legs extending in a spoke-like fashion outwardly from the at least one electronic device, the plurality of signalling legs extending substantially parallel to the control surface and being configured to transmit the mechanical load acting on the control surface to one of the one or more detection elements;
• a signal transceiver configured to transmit and receive data;
• a memory unit storing a threshold value;
• a processing unit connected to each of the one or more detection elements and to said signal transceiver, the processing unit being configured to process hydrogeological risk monitoring data and comprising:
• a comparison module configured to compare said electric signal with a corresponding threshold value;
• and
• a transmission module configured to transmit to the signal transceiver an alarm signal as a function of a match resulting from a comparison carried out by said comparison module;
• connecting each of the one or more detection elements to one or more of the plurality of signalling legs;
• resting the at least one electronic device for monitoring hydrogeological phenomena and the plurality of signalling legs on the control surface;
• detecting a mechanical load acting on the control surface with at least one of the plurality of signalling legs;
• converting a mechanical signal characteristic of the mechanical load into an electric signal characteristic of the mechanical load acting on the control surface;
• receiving said electric signal from the one or more detection elements;
• comparing said electric signal with the corresponding threshold value stored in the memory unit;
• sending a hydrogeological risk alarm signal to the signal transceiver as a function of a verified match resulting from a comparison carried out by said comparison module;
• and
• transmitting said alarm signal to the signal transceiver of a second one of the at least one electronic device for monitoring hydrogeological phenomena or to the signal transceiver of a fixed or mobile interactive electronic device.