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About

Hyojoo Son is a leading researcher at the intersection of construction engineering and robotics, with a primary focus on automated infrastructure maintenance and intelligent inspection systems. Her most influential work centers on developing rapid, automated methods for assessing structural degradation, particularly the detection and quantification of rust on steel bridges. In her highly cited 2014 study (70 citations), Son pioneered a vision-based approach that enables robotic systems to autonomously determine rusted surface areas, a critical step toward fully automated bridge maintenance and grit-blasting operations. This work, alongside her earlier 2013 conference paper on robotic grit-blast machines, has laid essential groundwork for deploying robots in hazardous, hard-to-reach environments. Son’s broader impact is evident in her comprehensive 2010 trend analysis (68 citations), which mapped the evolving landscape of automation and robotics in construction, providing a foundational reference for the field. Her contributions directly address the industry’s pressing need for safer, more efficient infrastructure upkeep, and her research continues to influence the design of autonomous systems for structural health monitoring and robotic maintenance.