A Filipino structural engineer who developed a sensor to detect hidden damage in buildings after earthquakes has won the 2026 James Dyson Award’s Global Sustainability prize. Aldrei Ong, a graduate of De La Salle University in the Philippines, received the recognition for his invention, Sentinel, which could help engineers identify buildings at risk of collapse. The award, announced on Wednesday, comes with £30,000 to support further development of the technology.According to the Dyson’s website, Sentinel is designed to address a problem that often arises after earthquakes. Although a building may appear safe from the outside, its concrete structures can have cracks or internal damage that are difficult to detect. Such damage can make it dangerous for people to continue using the building.Determining whether these structures are safe usually requires visual inspections and specialist testing. The process becomes particularly difficult after a major earthquake, when several buildings may need to be checked at the same time. These assessments can take considerable time and money, potentially delaying decisions about whether people can safely return.Ong’s invention aims to make that process easier by allowing engineers to monitor changes inside concrete structures. The sensor can detect changes associated with damage and send information to engineers, helping them identify structures that may need closer examination.
How Sentinel works
The technology is built around a concrete spacer block, a small component used during construction to keep reinforcing steel in the correct position. Ong has developed a version of this block that can also function as a damage sensor.Sentinel uses a material known as self-sensing concrete. It contains conductive materials that allow electricity to pass through it. When the concrete develops cracks or suffers damage, its electrical resistance changes. By measuring these changes, the system can provide an indication of possible structural damage.Electrodes embedded inside the block connect it to a small electronic module. The module compares the electrical resistance with the sensor’s original reading. If it detects a significant change, the information is transmitted wirelessly to an online dashboard.Engineers can use this dashboard to monitor a building’s condition remotely and observe changes over time.The design also aims to keep installation costs low. Since concrete spacer blocks are already used in reinforced concrete construction, Sentinel can be incorporated into new buildings without requiring an additional structural component.
More than 125 concrete samples tested
Ong developed Sentinel through his master’s research into self-sensing concrete. The work involved repeated experiments to understand how the material responds to pressure, loading and cracking.Over more than a year, he mixed, cured and tested more than 125 concrete samples. These experiments helped him refine the material and examine the relationship between structural damage and changes in electrical resistance.The invention has now moved beyond laboratory testing. Sentinel sensors have been embedded in a building in the Philippines for real-world monitoring.However, further validation is still planned. Ong intends to improve the electronic components by replacing the current hand-soldered circuitry with a custom printed circuit board. He also wants to develop versions that could be installed in existing buildings, rather than only in structures under construction.Speaking about the recognition, Ong said, “Becoming the Global Sustainability Winner of the James Dyson Award means a great deal to me, not only because of the impact Sentinel could have, but because it affirms what persistence, curiosity and a willingness to keep improving can achieve,”He added that the award had given him greater confidence to continue developing the technology and work towards making buildings safer.
Dyson on invention’s potential
Sir James Dyson, founder of Dyson, praised Sentinel for its approach to detecting damage that may otherwise remain unnoticed. “After an earthquake, serious damage inside a concrete building can be invisible and potentially fatal,” he said.Dyson said the invention could help identify problems before they become more expensive to address and reduce the risk of people occupying buildings that might collapse.Dr Bernardo Lejano, professor of structural engineering at De La Salle University’s Department of Civil Engineering, also welcomed Ong’s achievement. He said he was pleased that Ong had continued developing his research beyond his master’s degree and expressed hope that the technology would eventually become a standard component of reinforced concrete structures.According to the Voice News Weekly, the 2026 James Dyson Award received a record 2,294 entries from 28 countries and regions.