Robotic road maintenance technologies that are safer, quicker and more efficient.

Most of Europe’s thoroughfares were built more than fifty years ago, between 1960 and 1970. With an estimated 50-year life cycle, urgent renovation and maintenance actions are now required for these roadways. Due to significantly higher traffic volumes, however, new technological solutions are needed to perform operations efficiently and safely.

Project OMICRON is here to meet these needs. With the participation of the Tekniker technology centre, a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), the aim is to develop automation and AI technologies that will allow maintenance operations to be carried out by roadworkers quicker, more efficiently and safer.

The 16 partners from seven European countries that form part of this initiative have developed a smart robotic platform that features digital inspection technologies, predictive maintenance, smart interventions and maintenance in addition to smart construction capabilities to optimise overall road life cycle from initial inspections to continuous maintenance.

Enhanced safety and shorter time spans

One of the main features of the solution offered by the OMICRON project is that it can perform quick and accurate inspections by using drones and automatic inspection vehicles which reduce the amount of time required to perform these operations as well as the costs resulting from manual inspections. It also enhances safety as the exposure of workers to traffic is minimised.

The solution incorporates several technologies such as digital design models that are used to develop prefabricated structural components in the form of road segments and bridges.

Thanks to the platform, it is possible to perform virtual simulations and view the entire construction process, from the design stage to the finishing touches. This does not only speed up the construction of roads and bridges but also reduces hazards and enhances safety for workers and drivers alike.

Robotised crack sealing and laser paint removal for road maintenance

The Tekniker research team and the firms Pavasal and LMS have carried out several technical demonstrations on the A-7 motorway in Valencia to check the system’s reliability.

Thanks to the implementation of advanced technologies in the form of a laser system and to tools for robots used to seal cracks, it has been possible to perform critical tasks such as surface crack sealing and paint removal. Both operations are essential to minimise hazardous situations for drivers and workers as the risk of being exposed to skidding is reduced significantly.

The Tekniker researcher Ander Ansuategi explains that “the robotic system can be accurately controlled and guided from a truck cabin or from a location outside the road so that operators are not forced to perform dangerous work on roads that are very busy.”

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°955269.

The OMICRON project website