PI: Aaron Johnson
Co-PI(s): Gregory Lowry
University: Carnegie Mellon University
Industry Partner: HEBI Robotics
This project will develop a new class of magnetic climbing robots for infrastructure inspection. The system will be capable of climbing vertical surfaces, transitioning between surfaces, and surmounting small obstacles all while carrying an inspection payload. The target application is the inspection and maintenance of critical infrastructure such as bridges, pipelines, storage tanks, electrical/radio towers, and other steel structures. The collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh was a reminder that Pennsylvania's aging infrastructure requires frequent, detailed inspection to remain safe. Collaboration with a local robotics company will provide access to test facilities and robot components, aid the analysis of the feasibility of the system, and provide a pathway to deployment after the project. The result will be a new method of inspecting and analyzing infrastructure, with both more data and higher quality data than is currently possible at a lower cost.