State crews used a new piece of technology to inspect the I-471 bridge over the Ohio River that caught fire last week — a robot dog.
Ohio Department of Transportation said the four-legged cyber-pooch, named Brutus, used LiDAR technology to scan areas of the bridge that might have been damaged. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. It uses laser sensors to create a 3D model.
ODOT said Brutus allowed officials to safely capture valuable information from the top and bottom of the bridge without putting crews in harm’s way.
Brutus is part of an ODOT research project led by the University of Cincinnati to investigate its use as a visual observer during drone operations to help UAS Center pilots safely detect and avoid other aircraft.
The project will also investigate other potential uses for ODOT operations like culvert inspections and, in this case, emergency response.
