Robots in Inspection and Monitoring of Buildings and Infrastructure: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Regular inspection and monitoring of buildings and infrastructure, that is collectively called the built environment in this paper, is critical. The built environment includes commercial and residential buildings, roads, bridges, tunnels, and pipelines. Automation and robotics can aid in reducing errors and increasing the efficiency of inspection tasks. As a result, robotic inspection and monitoring of the built environment has become a significant research topic in recent years. This review paper presents an in-depth qualitative content analysis of 269 papers on the use of robots for the inspection and monitoring of buildings and infrastructure. The review found nine different types of robotic systems, with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) being the most common, followed by unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). The study also found five different applications of robots in inspection and monitoring, namely, maintenance inspection, construction quality inspection, construction progress monitoring, as-built modeling, and safety inspection. Common research areas investigated by researchers include autonomous navigation, knowledge extraction, motion control systems, sensing, multi-robot collaboration, safety implications, and data transmission. The findings of this study provide insight into the recent research and developments in the field of robotic inspection and monitoring of the built environment and will benefit researchers, and construction and facility managers, in developing and implementing new robotic solutions.

Intelligent Robotics—A Systematic Review of Emerging Technologies and Trends

“…Halder and Afsari [29] conducted a thorough synthesis of research on robotic inspection in the built environment, analyzing 269 papers via qualitative content analysis. It primarily categorizes robots used in building and infrastructure inspection by their locomotion and identifies five key application domains: post-construction maintenance, construction quality inspection, progress monitoring, as-built modeling, and safety inspection.…”

“…Applications of measuring intelligent robots have been introduced in the construction industry for building deformation monitoring, offering advantages such as cost reduction, increased accuracy, and improved efficiency [54]. Robots in the inspection and monitoring of buildings and infrastructure have been employed, showcasing improved safety, efficiency, and accuracy [29]. Uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) and aerial drones have been deployed in search and rescue (SAR) operations and disaster management [19].…”

“…Future research should address these challenges and continue to explore the potential applications and capabilities of robotic technology across industries, emphasizing adaptability and modularity in robot designs [19]. Collaborative efforts and competitions can contribute to advancing robotic technology, specifically in urban search and rescue applications and the construction industry [29].…”

Comparison of Machine Learning Approaches for Robust and Timely Detection of PPE in Construction Sites

“…Dataset preparation is pivotal in these endeavors, as seen in [17], where a combined dataset of collected and captured images was utilized. Regular monitoring of the built environment using robots is crucial for overseeing maintenance, assessing construction quality, monitoring progress, creating as-built models, and conducting safety inspections [18]. The evaluation of robots on construction sites, as discussed in [19], is essential to anticipate and proactively address challenges in practical robotic construction scenarios.…”

Global Models of Smart Cities and Potential IoT Applications: A Review

“…UAVs equipped with sensors can be used to inspect infrastructure such as bridges, roads, and power lines, identifying potential problems and enabling maintenance teams to respond quickly [151]. UAVs have a wide range of applications in infrastructure inspection [152] due to their ability to provide high-resolution imagery and data and ability to access hard-to-reach areas safely and efficiently [151]. Eventually, the use of UAVs in infrastructure inspection will allow for more effective and accurate maintenance and repair decisions.…”