🎥 Cable-Stayed Structures: automating bridge inspections
Stay cables can be damaged through mechanical action, exposure to the environment, or accidents.
Given the critical role of these cables in bridge safety, inspection and maintenance is crucial, but it is a time-consuming, costly and error-prone process that requires expert operators.
By combining an automated video-capturing robot that moves along the stay cable with an artificial intelligence algorithm and machine learning that can detect and classify defects on the cables from the videos, this novel solution makes the inspection process faster, accurate and safer.
Andreas Schwarz, Director of VSL Repair & Preservation Business Line, says:
“Mechanised, robotic inspection of cables coupled with machine learning algorithms has changed the way we inspect cables. Not only does it allow us to capture the entire length of the cable quickly and efficiently, but it also reduces the risk of accidents for our workers. The added benefit of the machine learning algorithm is that it automates the detection of damage, saving us countless hours of manual review by expert operators. This robot is set to transform bridge inspections, saving valuable time and resources while also enhancing safety.”
🎥 Watch the full video below:
