We've seen Petoi's smart robots in schools, colleges, universities, robotics events, showcases, and in offices around the world. But today, we'll take a look at how these educational robot kits are also assisting civil engineers with structural health monitoring activities to help preserve civil infrastructure and keep traffic safe.
After constructing infrastructure like roads, bridges, and buildings, the next important phase is its maintenance and checking its health occasionally. This is where structural health monitoring SHM) comes in: civil engineers worldwide engage in SHM activities to ensure the safety and longevity of this critical infrastructure for years to come. This helps them identify issues early and take necessary steps to reinforce structures or adapt to new data collected for future reference. Simply put, SHM can help detect infrastructure damage and deterioration early and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic structural events.
As you will see from the image below, the mobile SHM systems use Petoi quadruped robots (also known as mIDOGs). These tiny & efficient robots combine autonomous navigation, sensor integration, and real-time data analysis, making SHM more efficient and cost-effective. We will also explore how these agile, camera-guided robots outperform conventional methods in maneuverability and scalability while addressing their real-world challenges. Let's learn how this new and game-changing solution is poised to revolutionize infrastructure monitoring worldwide!
The study conducted in Hamburg, Germany proposes using quadruped robots (known as mIDOGs {short for mini intelligent documentation gadgets}) for mobile structural health monitoring (SHM) to improve cost-efficiency, maneuverability, and accuracy. As mentioned, systems that were used earlier like stationary sensors required dense and costly deployment; on the other hand, quadruped robots cover large areas with fewer units, reducing costs. These modified Petoi Bittle robots navigate difficult-to-reach locations: much better than wheeled robots, while at the same time maintaining data accuracy.
Each programmable robot includes three components: the robot itself for movement, a processing unit for SHM tasks, and a sensing unit with an accelerometer and camera. A dual-board system (combining the Arduino robot kit and Raspberry Pi robot) ensures efficient movement and SHM data handling. When it came to the SHM process itself, the main responsibilities of Bittle were to ensure navigation, data collection, communication, and synchronization. The robots autonomously located measuring points, collected data, analyzed it, and most importantly, synchronized that information using Python-based software. Below is an actual picture of the modified Petoi Bittle used on the Köhlbrand Bridge for this study.
The study was conducted in two parts; one part focused on laboratory experiments, while another part focused on actually using these quadruped robots on the Köhlbrand Bridge. Here is a video of Petoi mIDOG's being used on the bridge for the study:
This study of Python robotics and physical computing with Petoi robots highlights key challenges and opportunities for future real world improvement. In the paper, it was indicated that future research aims to test new sensors designed to capture complex structural dynamics and optimize robot designs for better data collection. All in all, this study was very helpful in understanding how robotics could very soon make SHM more cost-effective and accessible for engineers all around the world! We're grateful for Petoi Robots being able to contribute to this study that will hopefully make the world a safer place in the future!
Gone are the days when robots were just engineering toys for kids. More real world applications and robot projects are transforming the robotics landscape as you read this! Thinking about building your own robot, or want to use Petoi's pets for your own STEM robot project or research?
