A novel approach for impact load identification based on the cuckoo optimization algorithm

• Developed a novel inverse analysis method combining the Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm (COA) and Moore–Penrose generalized inverse. • Enables simultaneous estimation of impact location and magnitude without prior knowledge. • Achieves significant reduction in sensor requirements. To ensure the safety and reliability of structures, accurate identification of both the magnitude and location of impact loads is critically important. In this paper, we propose a method for estimating these parameters using the Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm (COA). Assuming that the structure undergoes elastic deformation, the temporal variations of the rotational angles measured by wireless gyroscopic sensors mounted on the surface and the impact loads are related through a response matrix equation. The impact location was determined using the COA, whereas the magnitude of the impact load was computed using the Moore–Penrose generalized inverse. Consequently, the proposed approach enables efficient identification of the time history of impact loads and their locations without requiring a large number of sensors. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, it was applied to impact problems involving a simply supported beam and a plate. The results confirm that the method can accurately estimate both the magnitude and location of the applied impact load in these cases.