Blog

Vibe Check: Monitoring Vibrations

How do you protect the collections from something you can't see? Vibrations are actually one of the most dangerous hazards to taonga, but they're often imperceptible to the naked eye. Read on to learn about Summer Student Luke Bishop's creation that will help protect our collections from this invisible threat. 

Blog by Luke Bishop

Vibration Monitors

Protecting Auckland’s Cultural Treasures:

My Journey in Vibration Monitoring

For ten weeks over the summer, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work as a Summer Student at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, developing a vibration monitoring system to aid conservation efforts. Museums are not just about displaying history—they’re also responsible for preserving it. Vibrations, whether from foot traffic, construction, or even the design of the mounting methods themselves, can pose significant risks to fragile objects.

My task was to develop a cost-effective, compact way to monitor these vibrations to help ensure the long-term safety of the Museum’s collections.

SYSCOM monitor

The challenge:

Detecting invisible threats

Many museum collections, especially older ones, are vulnerable to vibrations that can cause resonance, movement, or even structural damage over time. While high-end commercial monitors such as the Museum's existing SYSCOM units are available, their high cost limits their widespread use. My goal was to create a more affordable, adaptable solution that could be used to monitor vibrations at the object level rather than just floor based monitoring.

 

A SYSCOM unit (left) next to Luke's new design (right) 

Vibration Monitor

The solution:

A custom vibration monitor

Through multiple design iterations, I developed a compact, Arduino-based sensor unit that could capture acceleration data in three axes. Key features included:

• Precision Sensor Placement: Ensuring the accelerometer was positioned at the lowest possible point in its enclosure to improve accuracy.
• Versatile Mounting Options: The final design incorporated magnets, tie down points, and M3 bolts for secure attachment to different surfaces.
• Data Storage & Wireless Capabilities: Using an SD card for offline data logging, with the potential for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth activation in future.

Custom Vibration monitors

Looking ahead

This project has provided me valuable insights into how modern technology can support conservation efforts. Future enhancements could include real-time alerts for Museum staff as well as live data projection via a web page. I would love the chance to continue refining the system and contributing to Auckland Museum’s conservation initiatives in the future.

This experience has deepened my appreciation for Museum preservation work and the incredible efforts made behind the scenes to safeguard history for generations to come.

Watch the monitors being 3D printed below!