Sensors have the capability of collecting engineering data and quantifying environmental changes, activities, or phenomena. Civil engineers lack of knowledge in sensor technology. Therefore, the vision of smart cities equipped with sensors informing decisions has not been realized to date. The cost associated with data acquisition systems, laboratories, and experiments restricts access to sensors for wider audiences. Recently, sensors are becoming a new tool in education and training, giving learners real-time information that can reinforce their confidence and understanding of scientific or engineering new concepts. However, the electrical components and computer knowledge associated with sensors are still a challenge for civil engineers. If sensing technology costs and use are simplified, sensors could be tamed by civil engineering students. The researcher developed, fabricated, and tested an efficient low-cost wireless intelligent sensor (LEWIS) aimed at education and research, named LEWIS1. This platform is directed at learners connected with a cable to the computer but has the same concepts and capabilities as the wireless version. The content of this paper describes the hardware and software architecture of the first prototype and their use, as well as the proposed new LEWIS1 (LEWIS1 beta) that simplifies both hardware and software, and user interfaces. The capability of the proposed sensor is compared with an accurate commercial PCB sensor through experiments. The later part of this paper demonstrates applications and examples of outreach efforts and suggests the adoption of LEWIS1 beta as a new tool for education and research. The authors also investigated the number of activities and sensor building workshops that has been done since 2015 using the LEWIS sensor which shows an ascending trend of different professionals excitement to involve and learn the sensor fabrication.

翻译：传感器具有采集工程数据并量化环境变化、活动或现象的能力。然而，土木工程师在传感器技术方面缺乏相关知识，因此，配备智能传感器的智慧城市愿景迄今尚未实现。数据采集系统、实验室及实验的高昂成本限制了更广泛的用户群体接触传感器。近年来，传感器逐渐成为教育与培训的新工具，为学习者提供实时信息，以增强其对科学或工程新概念的理解与信心。然而，与传感器相关的电子元件及计算机知识对土木工程师而言仍是挑战。若传感技术的成本与使用得以简化，土木工程专业学生便能掌握其应用。研究者设计、制造并测试了一款面向教育与研究的高效低成本无线智能传感器（LEWIS），命名为LEWIS1。该平台面向通过线缆连接至计算机的学习者，但其核心概念与功能与无线版本一致。本文内容描述了第一代原型的硬件与软件架构及其应用，同时提出了新型LEWIS1（LEWIS1 beta）方案，简化了硬件、软件及用户界面。通过实验将所提传感器的性能与高精度商用PCB传感器进行了对比。本文后半部分展示了外展工作的应用实例，并建议将LEWIS1 beta作为教育与研究的新工具。作者还调查了自2015年以来使用LEWIS传感器开展的活动及传感器制作工作坊数量，结果显示不同专业人士参与并学习传感器制造的热情呈上升趋势。