Dr. Chunhee Cho is an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Cho earned his BS in Architectural Engineering from Konkuk University (Seoul, Korea, 2003), an MS in Architectural Engineering from Seoul National University (Seoul, Korea, 2009) and an MS in Electrical Computer Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology (2016). He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His dissertation title was “Passive antenna sensor design through multi-physics modeling, simulation, and optimization.” Prior to coming to UH Mānoa, Cho was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His research specialties include passive (battery-free) wireless sensor design, multi-physics (electromagnetics-mechanics) simulation, low-cost multi-functional sensor, data-driven monitoring systems, and structural health monitoring.
Cho’s current research interests pertain to a low-cost battery-free sensor and a data-driven method for structural health monitoring. The low-cost battery-free sensor utilizes energy from wireless transmissions and reflects different electromagnetic properties based on mechanical deformation. By means of the back estimation, wireless measurement for structural responses is achieved. The data-driven method for structural health monitoring extracts data for static or dynamic structural response such as strain, stress, mode shapes, and natural frequencies. Then, the extensive investigation distinguishes patterns of structural stability conditions. The formulated intelligent algorithm identifies data patterns for each case and predicts current and future structural conditions.