Author

Hung Manh La

Abstract

This report presents the development and implementation of autonomous navigation systems for steel bridge inspection robots, designed to enhance the efficiency and safety of bridge maintenance. The Advanced Robotics and Automation (ARA) lab has developed innovative climbing robots capable of operating in complex environments using a hybrid approach that combines mobile and inch-worm-inspired locomotion modes. A novel control and navigation framework has been proposed, featuring algorithms for surface detection, path planning, and mode switching based on 3D point cloud data. The effectiveness of these systems has been validated through experiments on steel bridge structures, demonstrating the potential for real-world application in autonomous bridge inspections, significantly reducing the need for human intervention.

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Research Center/Lab(s)

INSPIRE - University Transportation Center

Sponsor(s)

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590

Comments

Principal Investigator: Hung Manh La, Ph. D.

Grant #: USDOT # 69A3551747126

Grant Period: 11/30/2016 - 09/30/2024

Project Period: 01/01/2019 - 06/30/2024

The investigation was conducted under the auspices of the INSPIRE University Transportation Center.

Keywords and Phrases

Climbing robot, autonomous inspection, localization, motion planning

Report Number

INSPIRE-022

Document Type

Technical Report

Document Version

Final Version

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2025 Missouri University of Science and Technology, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

August 16, 2024

Share

 
COinS