Crackle

Executive Summary

Airport runways are subject to deterioration, resulting in cracks caused by fatigue and environmental factors. This necessitates frequent and efficient maintenance, given that unrepaired cracks steadily expand, undermining the structural integrity of runways and significantly escalating repair costs over time. Currently, crack sealing is dominated by manual repair techniques. However, these methods are expensive due to their labor-intensive nature and result in operational disruptions caused by prolonged runway closures. Additionally, manual crack sealing poses safety risks to the maintenance crew who are exposed to toxic sealant fumes. Crackle aims to provide a safer and more streamlined approach to runway maintenance, catering to airport administrations and maintenance contractors. Our solution integrates a sealant heating and deposition system with state of the art computer vision and sensing into a fully autonomous robot that is ready to deploy on any runway. In the context of the United States, where approximately $2.5 billion is spent annually on runway maintenance, Crackle is poised to deliver significant cost savings and enhanced operational efficiency, while ensuring worker safety by reducing their exposure to hazardous environments.

Team:

Aditi Chintapalli, Runing Guan, Mei Han, Ilia Kheirkhah, and Shalika Neelaveni

Faculty Advisor: Mark Yim, Asa Whitney Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Awards:

Francis G. Tatnall Prize for an outstanding project showing ingenuity, proficiency and usefulness

Berkman Opportunity Fund Recipient

Penn Wharton Innovation Fund Recipient