Let’s discover together how we can protect our city’s and national identities.
A city’s cultural and historic heritage is reflected in the importance of its historic buildings. Indeed, iconic monuments and buildings can define a city, or even a country. One need only think of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Col-osseum in Rome, Kremlin in Moscow or New York’s Statue of Liberty. Some monuments actually transcend any city and become emblematic of an entire nation, such as the pyramids of Giza or Great Wall of China. These mon-uments draw hundreds of thousands of visitors and their value to economies and national identities cannot be overestimated. It is vital, therefore, to ensure that these monuments are preserved in the best possible condition, which requires the most advanced monitoring systems. Next Industries deliver those solutions with a cutting-edge range of data acquisition loggers, gateways, and sensors.
The challenge of Ancient Monuments
Clearly it is imperative to protect these unique and priceless assets and, thankfully, the Internet of Things (IoT) gives us new opportunities to do so more effectively than ever. Some of these structures, such as the Colosseum or Great Pyramid, may have stood for thousands of years, leading us to believe that they are all but indestructible. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Changes in air pollution can have a dramatic effect on such buildings, while even climate changes, such as increased precipitation or elevated temperatures, can have a negative impact over time. Using sensors to monitor these factors can provide a detailed picture of the environment the structure is experiencing and therefore identify issues before they cause damage.
Monitoring Modern Impacts
In the case of many of these structures, the surrounding environment has changed beyond all recognition from the time of their construction. This in itself can cause serious problems. Excavation around the structure to construct buildings and roads may cause subsidence, while vibrations caused by heavy traffic can also cause problems. The installation of sensors such as inclinometers can identify any impacts, allowing action to be taken before any damage occurs. While ancient monuments are constructed from stone, more modern structures may utilise other materials. The Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower are two such examples. These metallic structures may suffer from corrosion, which could eventually impact the stability of the structures. Monitoring the fabric of these iconic monuments allows us to preserve them well beyond their usual lifespans and protect them for future generations.
Managing our Heritage Assets
Clearly, modern technology has an important role to play in protecting our cultural and historic heritage and Next Industries is at the centre of these innovations. Our sensors are compact, wireless, low power and rugged, capable of operating in both indoor and outdoor situations. They are unobtrusive and non-invasive, making them ideal for use in the most sensitive of environments. Founded in 2014, we are a young company dedicated to protecting our most ancient heritage assets. Please review our solutions and applications pages for some case studies on our activities in this area.