Bridge inspections pose significant dangers, demanding intensive labor, time, and resources. Yet, they are crucial to ensure bridge safety and determine maintenance needs over time.

The inspection process has seen limited evolution, with engineers typically hanging from the bridge’s side. While some advancements have improved safety, such as cameras for capturing images and videos, they have introduced new challenges. These methods still necessitate individuals to dangle from the bridge, capturing images that may not provide comprehensive on-site information.

Minnesota, with over 20,000 bridges, faced the uphill task of enhancing efficiency within this outdated inspection process. To redefine bridge inspections, they harnessed Microsoft Azure Remote Rendering, Microsoft HoloLens, digital twins, and drones.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN-DOT) ingeniously employed drones to efficiently capture bridge images and videos. Microsoft Azure Remote Rendering then transformed these recordings into detailed digital twins. Through HoloLens and mixed reality, these digital twins were brought to life. Engineers can virtually measure the width and depth of cracks in bridges, as if physically present. They can also access previous inspections and compare them side by side.

The collaborative capabilities of HoloLens, akin to Microsoft Mesh, revolutionize workflows. Engineers collaboratively engage with experts from various locations, replicating an on-site experience. This innovative approach facilitates efficient communication—replacing textual notes with visual annotations, thus hastening the inspection process.

While on-site inspections remain unmatched, challenges arise with urban lane closures and limited funding in smaller cities. A hybrid approach, integrating on-site and virtual inspections, emerges as an ideal workflow to enhance efficiency and ensure thorough bridge inspections.

This groundbreaking methodology can be extended to diverse inspection scenarios, from high-rise buildings to highways and intricate structures, thus transforming inspection processes across various industries.