Leading the mission was a state-of-the-art mobile climbing robot, designed and developed by the ARM Laboratory’s mobile robotics team under the technical and scientific guidance of researcher Diego Gitardi.

The system carried out the inspection inside a highway bridge in central Switzerland, operating under particularly challenging conditions: confined spaces measuring just 50 x 70 cm, complete darkness, and the presence of physical obstacles such as cables and pipes.

The operation verified the structural integrity of approximately 150 meters of steel reinforcements embedded within the concrete structure, demonstrating advanced navigation, reliability, and adaptability in complex environments.

A key factor in the project’s success was the collaboration with TALPA-Inspection, which provided an innovative measurement sensor that was easily integrated into the robotic system and overcame the limitations of traditional inspection tools.

This achievement is the result of the synergistic work of a highly qualified team, which also included Stefano Mutti and Simone Sabbadini, and marks a concrete step toward ARM Laboratory’s vision: to develop advanced robotic solutions that make maintenance activities safer, more efficient, and human-centered, particularly in hostile or hard-to-reach environments.