Integrated mobile device-based method for defect detection

Defect detection is essential for ensuring the safety and sustainability of natural and engineered infrastructure. Traditional non-destructive testing (NDT) methods often rely on bulky and costly equipment, limiting their applicability in real-world field conditions. This paper reviews the emerging trend of integrating NDT techniques with mobile devices and highlights our recent work on a mobile phone-based solution. By employing the phone’s speaker for acoustic excitation and its camera for motion magnification, the system enables sensitive detection of internal defects such as cavities and cracks without additional instrumentation. Experimental studies demonstrate the capability to identify defects as small as 1 mm and support a defect-sensitive scoring framework for quantitative health assessment. Beyond technical performance, this mobile device-based approach offers low cost, high scalability, and strong potential for public participation, aligning with global goals of resilience and sustainability. Future integration with artificial intelligence and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is envisioned to enable decentralized and intelligent infrastructure monitoring. © (2026) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).