Trinity forces and reactions shaping vision-based smart structural health monitoring

The convergence of deep learning (DL) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing vision-based structural health monitoring (SHM) by enabling unprecedented levels of intelligence and remote operability. However, the effective integration of SHM, DL, and IoT into a synergistic system remains significantly challenged by persistent disciplinary silos and a lack of systematic understanding regarding cross-domain knowledge transfer. This gap impedes the translation of domain-specific knowledge into practical engineering applications. To address this, we propose a vision-based smart structural health monitoring (VS-SHM) system framework and conceptualize the core interdisciplinary integration challenges as six forces. These forces effectively interconnect the three distinct domains of SHM, DL, and IoT: between SHM and IoT lie (1) Efficient Data Acquisition and Uninterrupted Flow, and (2) Fundamental Procedures for Processing Massive SHM Data; between DL and IoT are (3) Techniques for DL Model Light-weighting, (4) Hardware Acceleration for DL Deployment; between DL and SHM exist, (5) Ensuring Model Robustness and Data Augmentation in Real-World Scenarios, and (6) Optimizing DL Models for Specific Defect Characteristics. By synthesizing current research addressing these forces, this review establishes VS-SHM as a distinct interdisciplinary field and a pivotal enabler for intelligent infrastructure management in practical applications.