Nerding Out with NIBS Presents “Robots at the Edge: Advancing Construction Inspection” webinar,  September 9, 2026, 1-2 pm EDT 

Join your fellow nerds from industry and academia as we delve into a research partnership between Procon Consulting and Virginia Tech’s ARCADE Lab focused on advancing robotic technologies for construction inspection and monitoring. Stephen DeVito of Procon Consulting and Associate Professor Kereshmeh Afsari from Virginia Tech will present prior field studies using quadruped robots on active jobsites and introduce MARIO (Multi-Agent Robotic System for Inspection On-Site), a multi-agent system that enables remote inspections through coordinated aerial and ground robots. MARIO addresses key industry challenges, including monitoring hazardous or inaccessible areas and mitigating the shortage of qualified inspectors. Nerd On! 

 Learning Objectives  

1. Understand the implementation of robotic reality capture for construction monitoring and inspection  

1. Describe how remote inspection platforms can address labor shortages and jobsite access risks  

1. Understand the design and functionality of a multi-robot system for progress monitoring  

1. Propose strategies for industry-academia research partnerships for construction innovation