This project is for the application of a smart sensor system to continuously monitor the health and safety of railcar braking systems. These smart sensor  systems are small (e.g., 15 mm × 60 mm × 2 mm thick), and contain sensors and their own power supply, processor, data transmitter and antenna, and a self-configuring network capability. In the brake system application, strain gage smart sensors would be installed on the brake beams of each car in a train (Figure 1). The output of these sensors will be used to determine whether the brakes are applied or released. This would enable detection of stuck or nonfunctioning brakes, facilitate initial terminal brake inspection, and provide continuous monitoring of train braking forces to facilitate the real-time calculation of braking distances. Commercially available networking software will be used. This software is designed to provide security and avoid interference, such as RF signals from other trains.

The final report for this IDEA project can be found at:
https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/archive/studies/idea/finalreports/highspeedrail/HSR-51Final_Report.pdf