Robotic devices for Structural Health Monitoring

The last decade has seen the dynamic development of robotic tools, particularly the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Miniaturization, improvement of control tools, and specialization of these devices have made them tools that are eagerly used by various industries, including the construction industry. Initially, UAVs were used for visual inspections; today, highly specialized devices are an increasingly important element of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), assessing the condition of structures and estimating their load-bearing capacity. This article aims to present the current state of technology in robotic solutions in SHM, with particular emphasis on those providing possibilities for contact-based diagnostics. The work refers to wheeled robots and drones, including functional tools for diagnostics of the bond quality of the fiber-reinforced polymers strengthening overlays with the concrete surface. The paper reviews the types, scope, and methodology of data collection by robotic devices. It also shows attempts to integrate data with other SHM methods, incorporate them into the building information modeling environment, and create a digital twin of the structure. It also indicates further directions of work already initiated in the automated assessment of load-bearing capacity and estimation of the safety level of structures.