A team at the University of Nevada has created an autonomous robot design that can check bridges for defects of their steel , such as that caused by corrosion . The design uses machine learning and pattern recognition for steel rebar examinations , which could replace time - consuming and costly human reviews of bridges . The robots could also help reduce human error . NDE methods provide the ability to inspect a structure without causing any damage to the structure in the process. The wheeled robot uses ground - penetrating radar and electrical resistivity sensors , as well as a camera , to determine if any steel has suffered damage .
A team at the University of Nevada has created an autonomous robot design that can check bridges for defects of their steel , such as that caused by corrosion . The design uses machine learning and pattern recognition for steel rebar examinations , which could replace time - consuming and costly human reviews of bridges . The robots could also help reduce human error . The wheeled robot uses ground - penetrating radar and electrical resistivity sensors , as well as a camera , to determine if any steel has suffered damage .