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Smart Bricks to Monitor Buildings of the Future

Roland Piquepaille writes "Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a "smart brick" which can monitor a building's health and report its conditions wirelessly. "This innovation could change the face of the construction industry," said Chang Liu, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Illinois. "We are living with more and more smart electronics all around us, but we still live and work in fairly dumb buildings. By making our buildings smarter, we can improve both our comfort and safety." Built into a wall, these bricks could monitor a building's temperature, vibration and movement. Such information could be vital to firefighters battling a blazing skyscraper, or to rescue workers ascertaining the soundness of an earthquake-damaged structure. These researchers also think these devices could help monitoring nurseries, daycares and senior homes. You'll find more details in this summary."

21 of 142 comments (clear)

  1. Brick by Luigi30 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will it shoot out gas when someone graffitis it?

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    1. Re:Brick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Shhh... be careful. The walls have ears.

  2. Damn. THer goes one of my favorite expression by Unknown+Poltroon · · Score: 5, Funny

    I guess i cant use "Dumb as a half pile of bricks" anymore.

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  3. wait a min... by 3ryon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Such information could be vital to firefighters battling a blazing skyscraper...

    Finally, a solution for all of those brick skyscrapers.

  4. Re:Interesting, but... by Timesprout · · Score: 4, Funny

    If the brick says the buildings about to fall, what can the owners do?

    Get on the phone to their brokers and triple their insurance policy

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  5. Re:Interesting, but... by morbuz · · Score: 2, Funny

    If the brick says the buildings about to fall, what can the owners do?

    Get a good assurance really quick?

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  6. It's the apocolypse, people! by Mr.+Grimm · · Score: 3, Funny

    First we give buildings the ability to feel. Then we let them think. Twenty years from now houses are eating families after they don't get the foundation fixed quick enough. Stop the madness!

  7. mark of the brick by freedommatters · · Score: 2, Funny
    hey, it's this bit that gets me "These researchers also think these devices could help monitoring nurseries, daycares and senior homes"

    how long before they are in ALL homes by law?

    it's biblical. remember that bit about no one being able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast?

    it was a bad translation, they meant mark of the brick - the one that says "quality bricks designed to last"

    john
    are you a weapon of male destruction? you need one of these snazzy t-shirts

  8. Ahh....the real reason for IPv6 by bravehamster · · Score: 4, Funny

    Let's see....IPv6 should give us enough IP addresses so every brick can have their own address. Hope the building doesnt stop you from moving from one area to the other if you set your subnet wrong.

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  9. Destined for failure: by Asprin · · Score: 4, Funny


    Wow, it's gonna suck upgrading all of those when new a kernel comes out.

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  10. Re:Hehe Smart Bricks by xphread · · Score: 2, Funny
    construction material that provides feedback is likely better than construction material that does nothing but watch the paint flake


    Yeah, thats a job for managers.

  11. Re:Damn. THer goes one of my favorite expression by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I guess i cant use "Dumb as a half pile of bricks" anymore.

    If the bricks end up running "Microsoft Windows for Brick Computing" as their OS, you still might be able to.

  12. Now when the walls talk to me, by Stephen+Samuel · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can't actually be sure I'm insane.

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  13. Re:Damn. THer goes one of my favorite expression by bj8rn · · Score: 3, Funny

    If they were really smart bricks, they would escape from the construction site before getting laid in the wall. But I guess you should still stop using this expression, as you're probably overusing it anyway.

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  14. Favorite quote by serutan · · Score: 2, Funny

    "In the gaming industry, wireless sensors attached to a personâ(TM)s arms and legs could replace the conventional joystick and allow a âcouch potatoâ(TM) to get some physical exercise while playing video games such as basketball or tennis."

    I get it. Sort of like if they got off the couch and played the actual sport. Uh...

  15. Re:I'm waiting for Smart Brick 2.0 by rkz · · Score: 3, Funny

    and Smartbrick 3.11 which adds networking for small groups

  16. IN SOVIET RUSSIA by Eric+Destiny · · Score: 2, Funny

    in soviet russia, smart bricks monitor yoU!

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  17. fuck UIUC by autopr0n · · Score: 0, Funny

    My girlfriend transfered there and then broke up with me!

    Erm, that's the way I like to remember it, anyway...

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  18. Oblig: Beowulf Cluster... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    - Imagine a Beowulf Cluster of those things!
    - Dude, its called a *wall*

  19. movie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Brickinator 3 rise of the bricks

  20. Re:Interesting, but... by blibbleblobble · · Score: 4, Funny

    "If the brick says the buildings about to fall, what can the owners do?

    Get on the phone to their brokers and triple their insurance policy
    "

    Hopefully before the brick gets on the phone to your insurance company and triples the price of insurance...