Across the globe, cultural heritage sites face a multitude of threats, from climate change and pollution to soil erosion, structural instability, and human impact. Many of these risks are difficult to detect early, and interventions often come too late to prevent irreversible damage.
Early detection is critical and for this, continuous remote monitoring is a perfect tool to preserve cultural treasures. By deploying wireless sensors and IoT technology, experts can track environmental and structural conditions in real time without invasive procedures, detect subtle warning signs of deterioration, and make informed decisions by feeding their models. This approach ensures minimal disturbance to the site and surrounding ecosystems, while maximizing data-driven insights for long-term preservation strategies.
Monitoring heritage without disturbance
Worldsensing joined the European ARGUS project to provide advanced monitoring technologies to safeguard cultural heritage. From Greek islands to medieval castles, the project integrates wireless sensors and AI-driven analysis to monitor risks and support informed conservation decisions in different cultural heritage sites.
Àngela Lluch, Worldsensing’s application engineer and project manager for ARGUS, has been visiting pilot sites across Europe, installing sensors, and ensuring the smooth collection of data. To better understand how it’s like to deploy advanced monitoring systems at these extraordinary sites, we sat down with her to learn more about her experiences on the ground across the pilot sites.
Can you tell us about the ARGUS project and your role in it?
ARGUS is all about preventive preservation of built heritage using cutting-edge technology. My role involves both engineering and project coordination: I selected and helped with the installation and the configuration of wireless sensors on the sites, and then I ensured the data collection worked seamlessly. In general, I oversee that all technical activities meet the project’s objectives. Essentially, I act as the bridge between the heritage experts and the technology, making sure our solutions are both effective and non-invasive.
“Our sensors are lightweight and wireless, allowing us to monitor critical points with minimum interference with the site or its surroundings”
Àngela Lluch, Worldsensing’s application engineer.
You’ve visited several pilot sites across Europe. How does the monitoring approach differ from one site to another?
Each site is unique. On Delos Island in Greece, we’re dealing with coastal erosion, salt-weathering, and the impact of tourism. In the cellar town of Baltanás in Spain, high humidity and soil instability are major concerns for underground cellars. Monti Lucretili in Italy is a mountainous site with subsidence risks and vegetation encroachment, while Sant’Antonio di Ranverso Abbey faces rainwater infiltration affecting centuries-old frescoes. Schenkenberg Castle in Switzerland is a ruin vulnerable to structural stress from wind and freeze-thaw cycles. So, we adapt our sensor setups to monitor the specific environmental and structural factors at each location, while keeping the interventions completely non-invasive.
What makes wireless sensors especially important in these sites?
Many of these heritage sites are fragile or located in hard-to-reach areas. Installing heavy or invasive equipment could cause further damage. Our wireless sensors are lightweight and can be discreetly placed to monitor critical points without disturbing the environment, flexibility really matters in these contexts. The sensors transmit real-time data, allowing conservation teams to track changes continuously. This helps predict potential issues before they become emergencies.
Can you share an example of the data being collected and how it informs conservation efforts?
On Delos Island, our sensors track micro-climate conditions like temperature, humidity, and soil moisture, which are key to understanding the deterioration of mosaics and building materials. In Baltanás, we also monitor soil moisture and air circulation which are parameters involved in collapse of cellars. The data feeds into the ARGUS decision support system, which creates risk maps and highlights priority areas for preventive action. This way, interventions are more precise, timely, and cost-effective.
What challenges have you faced while deploying these sensors across such diverse environments?
Logistics is a big challenge. Some sites, like Monti Lucretili, are remote mountain locations where transporting equipment is difficult. Weather conditions, rough terrain, and accessibility can get in the way too. Also, the lack of Internet connectivity in some areas made it difficult to find the right location for the installation of part of the equipment. But the payoff is huge: we can provide continuous, reliable monitoring that was impossible just a few years ago.
How does your work with ARGUS impact the broader goal of cultural preservation?
Our work empowers heritage managers to make evidence-based decisions. By detecting risks early, we can prevent damage that might otherwise take decades to repair. The data we gather also contributes to a larger understanding of how environmental factors interact with built heritage, helping future projects worldwide.
Further information on the work developed in the project is detailed in the paper “Sensor-driven preventive preservation in remote built heritage: a threat-to-sensor approach” authored by Worldsensing, the Spanish National Research Council CSIC, Athena Research Centre and EURECAT, that can be accessed here.
Through precise monitoring, data-driven insights, and proactive interventions, Worldsensing and ARGUS are advancing the preventive preservation of cultural heritage.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme for research and innovation under grant agreement No. 101132308.