Robotic System for Inspection by Contact of Bridge Beams Using UAVs

Abstract

<strong>Abstract:</strong> This paper presents a robotic system using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for bridge-inspection tasks that require physical contact between the aerial platform and the bridge<br> surfaces, such as beam-deflection analysis or measuring crack depth with an ultrasonic sensor. The proposed system takes advantage of the aerodynamic ceiling effect that arises when the multirotor<br> gets close to the bridge surface. Moreover, this paper describes how a UAV can be used as a sensor that is able to fly and touch the bridge to take measurements during an inspection by contact. A practical<br> application of the system involving the measurement of a bridge’s beam deflection using a laser tracking station is also presented. In order to validate our system, experiments on two different<br> bridges involving the measurement of the deflection of their beams are shown. This article is available also here: https://zenodo.org/record/2633659#.Xi8Aovbrvjo