Drone-based bridge inspections: Current practices and future directions

As transportation infrastructure networks continue to age, bridges have become critical components requiring monitoring activities to ensure safety and functionality. Inspections and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) play a vital role in aiding decision-makers in maintaining structural integrity. Drones have gained popularity for bridge inspections because they offer enhanced safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional methods. This paper provides a multi-faceted review of existing research on drone-based bridge monitoring, focusing on equipment, inspection procedures, outcomes, the Internet of Drones (IoD), and associated communication technologies, exploring current limitations, future directions and potential advancements. In the near future, it is expected that the application of computer vision techniques to drone-captured imagery will expand the possibilities for automated surface damage detection and extraction of dynamic structural features. The main challenges lie in the integration with IoD, and the standardization of the procedures, paving the way for fully automated drone-assisted inspections. • Comprehensive review on procedures, outcomes and communication technologies. • Vibration-based monitoring using drones has untapped potential. • The Internet of Drones enables real-time coordination of drone swarms. • Rapid evolution towards fully-automated and remotely-controlled inspections.