US Patent 9777568 Bipartite sensor array

A bipartite sensor array comprising two portions capable of assembly into a single sensory system. A first portion includes rigid bodies connected by elongate flexures and fitted with gravimetric tilt sensors. The elongate flexures are capable of non-monotonic and non-constant bend in two degrees of freedom. A second portion includes rigid bodies connected by joints, contains the first portion. The second portion, which may be delivered and assembled separately from the first, provides rigidity and protection, enabling the first portion to have short rigid bodies and long connecting flexures, thereby reducing the number of sensors required. The bipartite sensor array is applicable to geotechnical measurements of soil and civil structures.