SMART DAS LAB is a research team based at the University of Granada (Spain).
Our work aims to bridge the gap between Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and its real-world applications.
Specifically, our research currently focuses on two key domains:
— Seismic and seismo-volcanic surveillance
By using optical fiber as a sensor, we listen to the world and transform the signals we capture into meaningful information.
Our ultimate goal is to better understand the dynamics of the world around us and support smarter decisions through data.
Our work revolves around Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology.
This system enables real-time measurements at multiple points along an optical fiber, allowing the detection of vibrations, acoustic signals, and other physical disturbances.
Its operation can be summarized in five basic steps:
A laser sends pulses of light through the optical fiber optics, which acts as a quasi-continuous sensor along its length.
A small portion of this light is naturally backscattered when it encounters microscopic irregularities in the fiber.
External disturbances (such as passing vehicles, pedestrians or ground motion) modify the characteristics of the backscattered signal.
A receiving unit analyzes these variations and identifies patterns using advanced signal processing and Artificial Intelligence.
Finally, the massive amounts of data obtained through the fiber optics cable are transformed in real time into useful information for decision-making.
In this way, DAS technology transforms conventional fiber-optic cables into dense arrays of sensors capable of monitoring large areas.
SMART DAS LAB is currently conducting a pilot experiment to monitor urban traffic in the city of Granada (Spain).
These tests are carried out in collaboration with the fiber-optic operator TM Digital, using part of the optical fiber network deployed in the city center.
Through this experiment, we are exploring automatic methods for vehicle and pedestrian detection, counting and classification, with the aim of developing dynamic models of urban mobility.
This project demonstrates how existing fiber-optic infrastructure can be leveraged to enable large-scale monitoring using Distributed Acoustic Sensing.
If you want to learn more about SMART DAS LAB, feel free to visit the different sections of the websites: