Signal Cincinnati inspects bridges and roads with autonomous drones, compressing months into minutes

Summary

Deloitte cites Cincinnati as evidence that physical AI is spreading beyond warehousing into public services. The city uses AI-powered drones to inspect bridge structures and road surfaces autonomously. According to the chapter, the approach lowers costs and keeps human inspectors away from dangerous positions. It also shrinks analysis that once took months into a matter of minutes. Mayor Aftab Pureval describes such technology as the practical foundation that will let mayors work better and give residents better information, decisions and cost efficiency. The report presents the case as one of several showing that sector boundaries no longer limit where physical AI is applied.