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Sains Malaysiana 55(2)(2026):
317-326
http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2026-5502-11
Flood Monitoring and Early Warning
System Enabled by High-Sensitivity MWCNTs-PDMS Flexible Strain Sensors
(Sistem Pemantauan Banjir dan Amaran Awal Didayakan oleh Sensor Tegangan Fleksibel MWCNT-PDMS Bersensitiviti Tinggi)
RAZA ULLAH1,
QIANG LI1,*, FANGLONG SU1, JINGCHAO GENG1, SHENGBO SANG1 & LIFENG DING2
1Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence
& Micro Nano Sensors, College of Integrated Circuits, Taiyuan University of
Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
2Department of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering, Taiyuan Institute of Technology, Taiyuan, 030008, China
Received: 26 August 2025/Accepted: 22 January 2026
Abstract
This
study presents a novel flood monitoring and early warning system leveraging
multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-embedded polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
flexible strain sensors for real-time water-level detection. Traditional
systems, such as acoustic Doppler profilers, ultrasonic sensors, and IoT-based
networks, face limitations related to cost, environmental adaptability, and
accuracy. In contrast, the proposed system integrates stretchable MWCNT-PDMS
sensors with an Arduino Nano microcontroller and Bluetooth-enabled data
transmission to achieve high sensitivity (detecting deformations as small as
0.1 mm), low power consumption, and robust performance in harsh environments.
The sensors detect the structural strain caused by rising water levels, translating
mechanical deformation into resistance changes. A hardware-software framework
processes these signals to trigger three-tier alerts: safe (blue LED), cautious
(yellow LED), and dangerous (red LED), with real-time updates via an LCD and
wireless Bluetooth communication (HC-05). Experimental results demonstrate a
gauge factor exceeding 5 for optimized sensors, enabling precise
threshold-based warnings. The system’s non-intrusive design, durability, and
adaptability to irregular surfaces such as riverbanks and infrastructure offer
significant advancements in disaster resilience. By addressing critical gaps in
cost, accuracy, and deployment flexibility, this work provides a scalable
solution for mitigating flood risks in vulnerable regions.
Keywords: Early warning system; flexible strain
sensors; flood monitoring; MWCNTs-PDMS composite; real-time detection
Abstrak
Penyelidikan ini melaporkan sistem pemantauan banjir dan amaran awal yang novel menggunakan sensor regangan fleksibel polidimetilsiloksana (PDMS) terbenam tiub karbon nano berbilang dinding (MWCNT) untuk pengesanan aras air masa nyata. Sistem tradisional seperti profiler Doppler akustik,
sensor ultrasonik dan rangkaian berasaskan IoT menghadapi batasan berkaitan kos, kebolehsuaian persekitaran dan ketepatan. Sebaliknya, sistem yang dicadangkan mengintegrasi sensor MWCNT-PDMS boleh regang dengan mikropengawal Arduino Nano dan penghantaran data berkemampuan Bluetooth untuk mencapai kepekaan tinggi (mengesan ubah bentuk sekecil 0.1 mm), penggunaan kuasa rendah dan prestasi teguh dalam persekitaran keras. Sensor mengesan tegasan struktur yang disebabkan oleh kenaikan aras air, menterjemahkan ubah bentuk mekanikal kepada perubahan rintangan. Rangka kerja perkakasan-perisian memproses isyarat ini untuk mencetuskan amaran tiga peringkat: selamat (LED biru), berhati-hati (LED kuning) dan berbahaya (LED merah) dengan kemaskini masa nyata melalui LCD dan komunikasi Bluetooth tanpa wayar (HC-05). Keputusan uji kaji menunjukkan faktor tolok melebihi 5 untuk sensor yang dioptimumkan, membolehkan amaran berasaskan ambang yang tepat. Reka bentuk sistem yang tidak invasif, ketahanan dan kebolehsuaian kepada permukaan tidak sekata seperti tebing sungai dan infrastruktur menawarkan kemajuan signifikan dalam daya tahan bencana. Dengan menangani jurang kritikal dalam kos, ketepatan dan kefleksibelan penempatan, kertas ini menyediakan penyelesaian berskala untuk mengurangkan risiko banjir di kawasan terdedah.
Kata kunci: Komposit MWCNT-PDMS; pemantauan banjir; pengesanan masa nyata;
sensor regangan fleksibel; sistem amaran awal
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*Corresponding author;
email: liqiang02@tyut.edu.cn
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