The university is leading a £4.2 million (US$6.5 million) push to create an army of small robots that could spot defects and repair them without human intervention. Drones capable of perching on rooftops, ledges and other hard-to-reach places would aid with the effort, the Post reports.
The scientists are using their imaginations to dream up innovative ways of repairing cities. For example, they hope to develop robots that would operate solely within utility pipes to perform diagnostics and repairs. These machines could work swiftly and without the need for disruptions such as digging up roads and blocking lanes with construction vehicles.
Read the Full story here. This article originally appeared at Citiscope, a nonprofit news outlet that covers innovations in cities around the world. More at Citiscope.org.