Smart diagnostics
Sensors from ETH spin-off Irmos Technologies give engineers the power to monitor and assess bridge health in real time, enabling necessary maintenance work to be carried out in a timely and targeted manner.
Bridges connect communities, standing firm against wind and rain to ensure the transport of vital goods. Yet even critical infrastructure like this has a finite lifespan, which is why engineers need smart tools to pinpoint when and where maintenance is required. Sensors from ETH spin-off Irmos Technologies give engineers the power to monitor and assess bridge health in real time. CEO and company founder Panagiotis Martakis explains: “A bridge is like a patient. And our technology supplies the diagnostics.”
The idea for this startup was born at ETH Zurich’s Student Project House, where Martakis and his team prototyped their first sensors while he was still a student. Today, the young company comprises software and hardware engineers, civil engineering experts and business strat?egists. Its monitoring systems are already deployed across Switzerland, Germany and Greece, and pilot testing is currently underway in the US. The company plans to expand into other countries in 2026.
Robots in action
This text appeared in the 25/04 issue of the ETH magazine Globe.