Review of Bridge Structural Inspection Aided By Augmented Reality

In tackling the pressing concern of deteriorating infrastructure, the integration of element-level condition ratings and the digitization of the national bridge inventory stands out as a crucial response, not only refining the quality of inspection data but also unlocking the potential for machine learning and statistical methods to forecast future infrastructure conditions. AR emerges as a beacon of promise, touted as a tool capable of elevating the quality, precision, and efficiency of bridge inspections. AR is a technology that blends computer-generated information with the user’s real-world environment in real-time. Unlike virtual reality, which creates a completely artificial environment, augmented reality enhances the existing surroundings by overlaying digital information, such as images, videos, or 3D models, onto the physical world. AR is typically experienced through devices like smartphones, tablets, smart glasses, or AR headsets. It has applications in various fields, including gaming, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and navigation. For example, AR can be used to display additional information about a product when a user points their smartphone camera at it, or it can provide real-time navigation cues overlaid on the street view seen through smart glasses. However, the technology, despite its potential, remains in its infancy within this domain, grappling with various implementation challenges in structural and infrastructure health monitoring. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of both the state of the practice and state of the art applications of AR and related technologies in the bridge inspection context. Based on this overview, key research gaps are identified and discussed. This study ventures into the exploration of Augmented Reality (AR) and immerses itself in the latest developments and the transformative influence it could wield on the digital aspects of bridge inspection. It addresses many aspects of bridge structural inspec- tion aided by augmented reality, such as (i) process of AR bridge inspection (ii) present stage and future implementation in the industry (iii) software (iv) challenges and (v) future of AR.