Swarm Robotics for Infrastructure Inspection: A Comprehensive Review of Methods and Applications

Abstract

Swarm robotics is an emerging and transformative field that draws inspiration from natural swarms such as ants, bees, and birds to design and control large numbers of simple robots working collaboratively to achieve complex tasks. Among its various applications, infrastructure inspection stands out as a particularly promising area due to its demand for scalability, adaptability, and robustness. Traditional infrastructure inspection techniques are often time-consuming, costly, and potentially hazardous for human operators. Swarm robotics, with its decentralized control, redundancy, and flexibility, offers an efficient and safe alternative for inspecting bridges, tunnels, pipelines, buildings, and other critical infrastructures. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art developments in the use of swarm robotic systems for infrastructure inspection. We examine recent contributions, methodologies, and experimental frameworks, while also identifying challenges, opportunities, and directions for future research. Additionally, we analyze how current technological trends such as artificial intelligence, wireless communication, and sensor fusion synergize with swarm intelligence to improve inspection outcomes. The review aims to serve as a foundational reference for researchers and practitioners working in the domains of robotics, civil infrastructure, and automation.