The world’s first robot capable of repairing cable-stayed bridge sheaths at heights of over 100 meters, produced by China Merchants Group and Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, made its debut on Jiashao Bridge in Zhejiang Province.
The robot carries out sheath repair on a stay cable of Jiashao Bridge in Zhejiang Province. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
As a critical load-bearing component of cable-stayed bridges, stay cables are protected by outer sheaths that are highly susceptible to damage during construction and long-term operation. Once compromised, the underlying steel wires may corrode or even fracture, posing serious safety risks. However, traditional manual repair is high-risk and inefficient. To solve this problem, a research team has deployed a robot to replace human workers to increase efficiency, marking a breakthrough in China’s smart bridge maintenance.
Resembling a mechanical gecko, the robot is equipped with sheath repair tools and a high-definition visual system. Ground operators can control it remotely with real-time data. The robot integrates multiple functions such as inspection, repair work and data management to provide a comprehensive solution for the smart maintenance of cable-stayed bridges.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
