Innovations in Infrastructure Service Robots

Abstract

Infrastructure service robotics is a discipline studying robotic systems and methodology for buildings and civil infrastructure construction, inspection, and maintenance. The target could be buildings, estates, parks, bridges, power plants, power transmission lines, underground tunnels, sewage pipes, port facilities, etc. In this article, several new infrastructure service robots projects for construction services and deep tunnel inspection carried out in Singapore will be introduced. With new actuators, low cost sensors, and open source robotics software, infrastructure robots represent a new breed of intelligent systems that help the society to overcome manpower shortage and ageing workforce. These projects are examples of user-led and user-inspired robotics R&D effort led by government agencies, universities, and industrial alliance of local and overseas robotics and construction machinery manufacturers, start-up companies, and system integrators. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the robotics R&D capability in Singapore and to foster a robotics industry and the ecosystem that transform Singapore into a Smart Nation.