Deficiencies in transportation facilities must be addressed urgently. The adoption of new technologies into the transportation sector is necessary to the productive and economic rehabilitation, repair, and maintenance of the infrastructure of existing transportation systems. The continuous need for construction and rehabilitation and repair and maintenance of transportation network systems, specifically under uncontrolled environments, is an issue addressed in conjunction with robotic applications. The nature of robot tasks is discussed in this paper to provide general knowledge about this technology. Also discussed are robot attributes and the manipulation of robots for tasks such as welding and painting of highway bridge components. Current research in other robot applications such as sealing, grinding, sandblasting, inspection of concrete pavements, handling of precast concrete beams, fabrication of steel and reinforcing bars, excavation, tunneling, roadside management, hazardous material handling, railway track maintenance, nuclear plant cleanup, and the use of robots in harsh environments are also described. Although the United States currently has a lead in artificial intelligence, related computer technologies, and some areas of robotics, large-scale field applications of robots is the biggest challenge to this infant technology. There is a great need for a comprehensive, unified robotic research information system for the dissemination of information on robotics in transportation.
Samenvatting