A Human-Robot-AI Symbiotic Mobile Mapping Solution for Fast and Regular Examination of Rapidly Evolving Civil and Environmental Engineering Infrastructures in Smart and Resilient Cities

Dr Hau, Chi Hang   (Principal Investigator (PI))

36

2022-03-01

356500

A Human-Robot-AI Symbiotic Mobile Mapping Solution for Fast and Regular Examination of Rapidly Evolving Civil and Environmental Engineering Infrastructures in Smart and Resilient Cities

A Human-Robot-AI Symbiotic Mobile Mapping Solution, Rapidly Evolving Civil and Environmental Engineering Infrastructures, Smart and Resilient Cities

Civil Engineering, Surveying, Building and Construction

MRP/003/21X

Midstream Research Programme for Universities (MRP)

2022

On-going

There are more than 30,000 old buildings and various types of civil and environmental engineering infrastructure in Hong Kong that require regular checking and maintenance, and some even require urgent repairs. The current practice of manual visual inspection is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and potentially inaccurate. Further aggravated by manpower shortages, these constraints could cause ineffective maintenance and lead to public safety issues, hindering the city’s daily operation. In addition, urban forestry in Hong Kong also faces a similar challenge. To address these pressing needs and transform Hong Kong into a truly smart and resilient city, we propose an integrated solution empowered by human-machine synergy: the Human-Robot-AI Symbiotic Mobile Mapping Solution for Fast and Regular Examination of Rapidly Evolving Civil Engineering Infrastructures of Hong Kong on a city scale. The proposed research will be conducted by a team of university AI and robotics researchers, industrial experts in LiDAR sensing and data processing, structural engineers, arborists, and government departments, working closely together to achieve the following five interrelated deliverables: (I) Design, manufacture, and testing of the next generation, Robot-AI-enabled reality Capturer and Interpreter (an integration of advanced mobile mapping system and robot dog), named RACI (II) Establishing and validating the end-to-end AI interpreter pipeline and data mapping with human-in-the-loop (III) Synergy of AI and human experts in assessment and decision making (IV) Data integration with the BIM model (V) Implementations, including site testing, modifications, and finalization of the first generation of the Human-Robot-AI Symbiotic Mobile Mapping Solution. Two implementations will be performed to demonstrate the adaptability of the solution: (1) indoor implementation on concrete structure inspection; (2) outdoor implementation on the urban forest.