Smart Machine Monitor is a pilot tool for capturing machine sound so it can be analysed for condition monitoring. It is used by a small number of invited technicians. It is not a consumer app and is not distributed publicly.
What is collected
- Audio recordings of machinery
- Up to 60 seconds per measurement, recorded only while a person is holding the record button or a fixed-duration capture is running.
- Machine and site details
- Whatever the technician types into the form — make, model, type, operational status, observed issues, site name. All fields are optional.
- Location, if permission is granted
- Approximate coordinates at the time of recording, so a measurement can be matched to the machine it came from. Location permission may be declined and the app still works.
- Device and capture details
- Device model, operating system version, app version, and the technical properties of the recording — sample rate, which microphone was used, channel count, duration, amplitude. These are needed to tell a difference between machines apart from a difference between phones.
- An installation identifier
- A random identifier generated when the app is first installed. It identifies the installation, not the person. It is not an advertising identifier, and it is discarded if the app is deleted.
What is not collected
No name, email address, phone number or contacts. No advertising identifier. No analytics or tracking of any kind. No background listening — the microphone is active only during a recording the technician started, and an incoming call stops the recording rather than continuing through it.
Where it goes
Recordings are uploaded over an encrypted connection to private storage in Amazon Web Services, in the Frankfurt region (eu-central-1). Storage is not publicly accessible. Each recording carries a SHA-256 checksum computed on the phone and verified on arrival, so a corrupted transfer is rejected rather than stored.
A recording stays on the phone until the server confirms it has been stored safely, then the local copy is deleted. If there is no signal, the recording waits on the device and uploads later.
Who can see it
The project team at CR-ELEC and Liber Locus, for the purpose of developing and validating machine condition monitoring. Recordings are not sold, not shared with advertisers, and not used to train third-party services.
How long it is kept
For the duration of the pilot and any analysis that follows it. Recordings of machinery are research data; they are retained so results remain reproducible. Ask the project team if you want a specific recording removed.
Access to the app
Installing the app grants no access to any data. A separate single-use activation code is required before a phone can upload anything, and that authorisation can be revoked at any time by the project team.
Contact
For any question about this policy or a specific recording, contact brk@liberlocus.com.
Last updated 23 August 2026.