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The condition of roads in Europe is generally poor. A modular robotic platform is designed to speed up repair work using drones.

Europe’s road network is in poor condition. In many places, constant road works are carried out to keep the roads in good condition. However, this is time-consuming and labor-intensive, hinders traffic flow and creates risks for road workers. Drones and robots should make road repairs faster, safer and more cost-effective. As part of the EU-funded Omicron project, researchers from the European Institute for Scientific Communication (ESCI) have developed a preliminary concept for a modular robotic platform that can now perform various road maintenance tasks.

Specifically, it is a one-armed robot mounted on a road construction vehicle. It is designed to perform a variety of tasks, including installing and collecting road barriers, warning lights, and traffic cones. The platform can also use other attachments to repair small cracks in the road and remove excess road markings using a laser. Road workers can operate the robot from a safe distance from the control center. The process combines augmented and virtual reality applications.

But the Omicron project is not just about roads. They are also looking at other infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels. These infrastructures can be inspected for damage using autonomous drones. The technology is already in use and only takes a few minutes, as demonstrated by a test on a bridge in Italy. Previously, it would take inspectors hours or even days to detect cracks or corrosion in road infrastructure. Using autonomous drones to carry out inspections could speed up this process, meaning bridges and tunnels could be closed for less time. In addition, there is no longer a need to send people to high altitudes to inspect bridges. This improves safety.

The researchers also developed a system that can continuously monitor the condition of roads. To do this, they installed 3D cameras and other sensors on a vehicle driving on the road to take pictures of the road surface and combine them with the results of the depth scan. This data is then used to determine the road conditions. Any necessary repairs can be prioritized and passed on to the road department accordingly.