By some estimates, nearly 25 percent of all 600,000 bridges in the United States are deficient. Bridge inspection and repair is a costly, time-consuming process, measured both in dollars and in traffic delays.

Research underway by Hung La, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, seeks to develop robotic systems that can safely and efficiently identify bridges in need of repair. La joined the Department of Computer Science and Engineering this year as a new assistant professor, with expertise in robotic systems for advanced manufacturing and civil infrastructure.

His interest in infrastructure inspection began while he was a postdoctoral researcher at Rutgers University. While there, he was a key member of the team that developed the Robotics Assisted Bridge Inspection Team, or RABIT, an automated robot that uses non-destructive sensing technologies to determine if bridges need repairs.

Now at the University of Nevada, Reno, La is continuing that work with a focus on human-robot collaboration in bridge inspection. La is currently researching human-robot interaction models and algorithms that can be used to create high-efficiency advanced manufacturing processes.

He's currently part of a team that was awarded a competitive National Robotics Initiative grant from the National Science Foundation to develop robotic systems capable of minimally invasive bridge inspection, repair and maintenance. The project, which is led by researchers from Rutgers University and Texas A & M, involves human-robot collaboration, as human oversight will seek to limit traffic disruptions while the robot moves about the bridge inspecting, diagnosing and making repairs.

La was also recently awarded a second National Science Foundation grant to finalize and commercialize automated robotics systems for bridge inspection and evaluation. The project, which runs from April through the end of this year, focuses on designing relatively low-cost robotic systems that can be purchased and deployed by state departments of transportation or bridge contractors. The project will integrate non-destructive sensing technologies with recent advanced in robotics and automation sciences to provide real-time data during the bridge inspection.

In addition to ground-based robotic systems, La is also collaborating with Drs. Gokhan Pekcan and Ahmad Itani in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department as well as the Nevada Advanced Autonomous Systems Innovation Center, or NAASIC, to develop a drone system that could be used in bridge inspection. That project is currently awaiting funding.

La is part of a group of faculty hired in the College of Engineering with expertise in advanced manufacturing. The cluster hire, which includes Chemical and Materials Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, is part of a University effort to develop research expertise in targeted areas with potential for growth.

"Due to its highly interdisciplinary nature, addressing the challenges of advanced manufacturing requires an interdisciplinary approach and specialized equipment," La said. "We should plan to combine aspects of advanced robotics, controls and automation technologies to provide Nevada engineering students with a unique, globally competitive perspective on advanced manufacturing."

La hopes to see an interdisciplinary education program develop around advanced manufacturing, similar to the interdisciplinary education and research programs developed around unmanned autonomous systems.

"Combining both research and teaching will enable and promote synergistic research and educational partnerships that cross departmental boundaries and leverage existing educational and research capabilities as well as build new ones," he said. "Introducing new advanced manufacturing capabilities will enable the University to become globally competitive in advanced manufacturing research and education as well as support Nevada's vision for economic growth."