Japanese engineering consulting firm Chodai and University of Nagasaki in cooperation Nagasaki-based machinery maker Kyowakiden Industry developed an inspection robot for bridge cables. The companies applied the system at Megami Ohashi Bridge in Nagasaki City in Japanese southern island Kyushu.

Bridge cables are part of the main components of a cable-stayed bridge connecting a main tower and a girder, which are usually inspected by human eyesight using boom trucks for up to 30 meters high and by a telescope in distance higher. As close inspection by sight every five years has become mandatory for all bridges in Japan since 2014, the robot can meet the government’s requirements.

The remotely-controlled robot with four propellers made of CFRP runs on guide-rollers along the cable, recording the surface in search of cracks. The robot tested on the 1289 meter bridge on December 19 proved effective and smooth operation. (2016/12/21)