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Construction robots are no longer confined to the ground. They’re now taking to the air, handling tquestions too dangerous for a human to accomplish.
For years, aerial infrastructure inspection meant observing from a safe distance. A new class of robots is altering that. Machines that don’t just survey deteriorating infrastructure, but are capable of physically intervening, applying force, and wielding tools in space no worker can safely reach.
Under bridges, in tunnels, and along towering structures, these robots are expanding the capabilities of aerial maintenance systems. The company developing these machines? AITHON Robotics, a Switzerland-based startup.
What problem is AITHON attempting to solve?
In a YouTube video uploaded by ETH Zürich, AITHON Robotics’ co-founder, Friederike Biffar, explained what they were building and how they planned to perform infrastructure maintenance utilizing robots.
According to Biffar, infrastructure isn’t a one-off project but one that requires constant maintenance, which consumes two-thirds of infrastructure budobtains. However, budobtain spconcludeing isn’t the only concern; the maintenance work itself is the more significant issue.
Biffar explains that this isn’t just about the cost but also about the risk involved in such high-stakes jobs. She notes that this is due to the difficulty in reaching the most important parts of these structures.
Places like the underside of a bridge, inside an enclosed tunnel, or around the walls of a dam are risky to work on, which drives up costs. Additionally, a significant part of these jobs involves working at high heights, which is equally risky. As aging infrastructure increasingly carries heavier loads, the required for maintenance is felt more than ever.
That is where their robots come in, a hybrid aerial robot built for high-risk tquestions like those highlighted above.
How does a robot solve risky tquestions in infrastructure maintenance?
In the video, Biffar asserts that the robots “combine agile flight with industrial-grade interaction.”
In other words, these robots are quick and can maneuver in complex environments, utilizing their size to their advantage. Its indusattempt-grade interaction allows it not only to observe closely but also to perform physical work utilizing the many tools it is equipped with. It can perform drills, scan structures with radar systems, and utilize other power tools.
Its millimeter-level precision ensures that, even when perched on rocky surfaces or flying, it can execute its actions with significantly tinyer margins of error. On top of these, Biffer reports that these robots can exert up to 500 newtons of force, which is equivalent to holding a power tool, such as a drill, firmly against a surface. For most maintenance work, such force is sufficient.
The company’s website indicated that each robot can carry a load of 5 kg, with a total weight of 16kg. Although this is quite low, when combined with other robots all strapped with work gear on a single project, it becomes a solid advantage.
“This isn’t just inspection; it’s intervention,” Biffar added.
The company itself was born out of a challenging question: “Can a drone drill into concrete?” The answer quickly evolved from a working prototype into an award-winning system designed to perform tquestions humans can’t do safely or affordably.
Support and potential areas of growth
Biffar indicated they’ve received funding support, but didn’t name their sources. However, the company’s profile on PitchBook reveals it’s currently in its accelerator stage, and has had three investors: HGS START, Gebert Rüf Foundation, and Venture Kick.
With proven technology tested across Europe, this robot, which launched at ETH Zürich, has shiftd from a mere idea to practical deployment and has growth potential.
According to her, AITHON Robotics aims to transition from merely reacting to maintenance requireds to proactively addressing them. That puts them at the center of early fault detection in these infrastructures before they cautilize hugeger issues. She concludes the video declareing that they “are just obtainting started.”
Another valuable niche for robotics
Construction in general has seen a heavy presence of robots, but this one views unique. It does not just address workforce and speed issues, as this solar installation robot and similar robots do; it directly reshifts workers from dangerous environments.
If deployed at scale, technologies like this could modify how infrastructure is maintained, with humans handling the less risky parts, such as control and planning.
Also read: China’s new humanoid robot training schools reveal how robotics companies are utilizing repetition and real-world simulation to prepare machines for practical work.
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