Checking safety of cable-stayed bridges with robot sensors

로봇과 센서로 사장교 케이블 안전 진단

Cable-stayed bridges are held up by large steel cables.
Any damage to them can lead to deadly collapses.
A local research team has developed a system that carry out safety checks of these parts using robots.
Lee Eun-jin gets us better acquainted with the helpful machines.

Cable-stayed bridges like Incheon Bridge and Seohae Bridge have large steel cables that support the bridge's structure.
These cables allow fewer support columns under the bridge which makes them cheaper to build, while also adding aesthetic appeal.
But any damage to these cables could threaten the safety of the bridge, and checking for the damage isn't the easiest job.
Corroded cables even led to the Morandi Bridge disaster in Italy in 2018.

"Even the bridges that are made with perfect cables start to have problems after 10 years, and after 20 years, the problems become big enough to threaten the safety of the bridge."

This means it is crucial to check the safety of these cables regularly.

To prevent such accidents, a local team of researchers have developed a system that makes checking these cables easier.
A magnetic field sensor is connected to the back of this robot that moves along the cables.
As the robot pulls along the sensor, it scans the inside of the cables.
When the image appears on the monitor, it can show any points of damage or corrosion.

"Similar to regular medical checkups, we can check for damage regularly and at a low cost."

The research team hopes to further stabilize the functions of the sensor and robot
as well as advancing the diagnostic program so that the system can be put into use in about a year's time.
Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.

#Robot #Sensor #Arirang_News

2022-11-16, 21:00 (KST)