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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Cement with an IQ. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Cement and concrete are ubiquitous materials in buildings, bridges and roads. Engineer Vinod Veedu is Director of Strategic Initiatives for the company Oceanit. They produce a material called Nanite that contains microscopic sensors that can be mixed into cement. The resulting material can detect and measure motion, pressure and other factors. Veedu says one application is smart roads that could eliminate weighing stations.
VINOD VEEDU (Oceanit):
Imagine a road that you don’t have to go through a static scale – you can actually drive by, which is made of smart cement or smart concrete and it can detect which truck it is and it can also give you the weight of the truck as it goes by.
HIRSHON:
He says it could also report on hidden structural damage in bridges before they fail, or underground gas wells before they leak. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the Science Society.