LumiStrain provides an ultra‑thin, transparent coating that turns structural surfaces into optical strain sensor arrays by embedding single‑wall carbon nanotubes whose near‑infrared fluorescence shifts with strain. The system captures hyperspectral images to generate real‑time, full‑field 2‑D strain maps with micron‑level resolution, streaming data to a cloud analytics platform for integration with structural health monitoring workflows.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Accurate, full‑field strain measurement on large or complex structures typically requires bulky gauge arrays or expensive optical systems, limiting spatial resolution and real‑time monitoring capability. Without high‑resolution data, engineers cannot reliably detect microcracks, residual stresses, or subsurface damage, which hampers condition‑based maintenance and increases the risk of unexpected failures.
Solution
LumiStrain’s Strain Sensing Smart Skin (S4) is an ultra‑thin, transparent coating that turns any structural surface into an optical strain sensor array. The coating embeds single‑wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in a polymer matrix; when strained, each nanotube’s near‑infrared fluorescence wavelength shifts proportionally to the local strain. By illuminating the skin with a laser and capturing hyperspectral images of the emitted fluorescence, the system generates high‑resolution, full‑field 2‑D strain maps in real time. Data are streamed to a cloud‑based analytics platform where they can be integrated with existing structural health monitoring (SHM) workflows, enabling predictive maintenance and rapid damage localization without intrusive instrumentation.
Target Audience
Primary customers are civil and aerospace engineering firms, infrastructure owners, and research laboratories that require high‑resolution strain data for structural health monitoring, material characterization, and predictive maintenance programs.
Features
- SWCNT‑based optical strain gauges that convert mechanical deformation into a measurable near‑infrared wavelength shift.
- Sub‑micron polymer film applied via air‑brush, creating a conformal, transparent coating compatible with concrete, metal, and composite substrates.
- Hyperspectral imaging pipeline that captures fluorescence spectra across the entire coated area, delivering strain resolution on the order of microns and strain sensitivity below 10 µε.
- Real‑time data acquisition and cloud‑hosted analytics, supporting API integration with SHM platforms, digital twins, and enterprise asset management systems.
- Automated calibration and temperature compensation algorithms to maintain measurement accuracy under varying environmental conditions.
- Turnkey services for sensor manufacturing, material‑level testing, and structural component testing, providing end‑to‑end strain evaluation solutions.
- Capability to detect subsurface damage by correlating surface strain anomalies with internal stress concentrations.