REAL LIFE NEWS: DRONES COULD FIX POTHOLES
by Hazed
Holes in roads are a massive problem. It costs a lot of money to fix them, but if they remain unfilled then they cause damage to cars that drive over them. One solution might be to get drones to repair them.
Scientists speaking at a recent science festival suggested that drones equipped with 3D printers could be used to automatically fill in potholes as soon as they show up.
The idea is to have two sets of drones. One flies over roads during the day to identify and locate potholes which have suddenly appeared.
The data is then sent to a second fleet, which are sent out at night to fill in the holes by spraying asphalt into the cracks in the road.
A way would need to be found to stop the traffic, so the repair drone could go to work, but it would only take a minute for the job to be done so could probably be synced up with traffic signals – at least in cities. On motorways it might be more tricky.
It’s an innovative idea, and while there are a lot of technical issues to solve I hope this does get pursued. Ultimately it could also lead to drones and robots working on construction sites. We may soon see BuilderBots and ConstructoDroids in our cities!
