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Robot Fights Bridge Corrosion
Bridges are a critical component of transportation infrastructure everywhere, yet as they age, they tend to corrode due to exposure to de-icing salts, atmospheric carbon dioxide, and water seeping into microscopic cracks. This corrosion poses a significant safety risk and can lead to catastrophic failures, often going unnoticed until it reaches an advanced stage, resulting in costly repairs. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way to detect corrosion early? Well, there is—and it’s been around for the past 25 years. This method uses a device with an electrode mounted on a wheel that rolls across the surface of reinforced concrete, measuring the potential difference. Significant variations suggest that the steel reinforcement bars beneath the concrete are already corroding. The downside of this approach is that the wheel is attached to a handle and rolled manually, leaving hard-to-reach areas like bridge supports and underbellies inaccessible.
To address this issue, a team from Switzerland’s Institute for Building Materials collaborated with the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems. Their aim was to create a robot capable of detecting corrosion in every part of a bridge, even those unreachable by humans. They also wanted the robot to spot corrosion at its earliest stages, minimizing repair costs and preventing future collapses. To achieve these goals, they developed a robot that could move not just on flat surfaces but also climb walls and navigate ceilings. The robot’s movement relies on Vortex technology: a propeller mounted underneath helps create suction, allowing the robot to adhere to walls and ceilings, while wheels allow it to traverse surfaces, guided remotely.
The robot, initially called “Paraswift,†was created four years ago with Disney in mind for its filming versatility. It’s now been renamed “C2D2†(Climbing Corrosion Detective Device). While the basic concept remains similar—using an electrode on a wheel—it’s evolved significantly. The electrode is now placed under the robot’s body, and a pink ball equipped with a camera sits atop it. The camera allows the robot to capture its surroundings, helping operators identify and avoid obstacles, while the pink hue makes it easier to spot. So far, C2D2 has successfully identified corrosion on several Swiss bridges. However, the team isn’t done yet; by mid-2015, they hope to integrate an autonomous navigation system, eliminating the need for manual steering and allowing the robot to tackle obstacles independently.
C2D2 is set to become a vital tool in combating infrastructure corrosion, but it’s not the only robot designed for this purpose. Since 2013, Redzone Robotics has been building robots to inspect mid-sized sewer lines, identifying corrosion, debris, and deformations, then relaying data to operators who dispatch maintenance teams. Rolls-Royce began developing pipe-inspection robots back in 1991, proving particularly useful in nuclear power plant inspections. Other pipeline robots can even coat interiors to reduce leaks in gas and hazardous chemical lines. HiBot, a Japanese robotics firm, has also built self-propelled robots to check high-voltage power lines for internal corrosion.
Corrosion is a silent destroyer of global infrastructure, and as structures deteriorate faster than funds can be allocated for repairs, the $4 trillion infrastructure spending gap continues to widen. However, innovations like C2D2 for early detection and HJ3’s carbon fiber systems for preemptive bridge repairs offer hope for bridging this gap, one structure at a time.
If you’re interested in learning more about HJ3’s carbon fiber solutions and how they can help reduce costs for repairing corroded bridges, feel free to contact us at [insert email].