Abstract

Rapid urban growth, climate-related stress and aging infrastructure are revealing the limitations of traditional construction materials, which rely on periodic inspection and reactive maintenance, prompting the development of cyborg concrete as a bio-cyber-physical construction material system that integrates biologically mediated self-healing, embedded sensing and AI-supported robotic intervention within a closed feedback loop. Unlike conventional smart concrete, which primarily relies on passive sensing, cyborg concrete establishes multi-scale interactions between biological repair, digital analytics and physical maintenance, enabling structures to autonomously detect, assess and respond to damage in real time. Biological components, including microbial biosensors and self-healing bacteria, provide internal awareness by detecting environmental changes and sealing microcracks through mineral precipitation, while robotic platforms such as drones, soft robotic repair systems and robotic bioprinting enable precise inspection and intervention on complex structures. AI algorithms analyze continuous data streams to predict deterioration, guide maintenance decisions and coordinate robotic actions, forming an integrated framework for adaptive infrastructure management. Experimental studies report crack sealing of 0.2-0.8 mm, partial compressive strength recovery of 15-40%, AI-based crack detection accuracies of 92-98% and drone-assisted inspections reducing assessment time by approximately 60% relative to manual methods. Despite these advances, challenges remain, including bacterial stability under high pH, long-term sensor durability, AI generalizability, robotic localization precision, biosafety, cybersecurity, and the need for regulatory frameworks. While individual technologies are approaching high technology readiness levels, full triadic integration remains at an early experimental stage. Cyborg concrete provides a conceptual framework for next-generation adaptive infrastructure, requiring material-level validation, system integration research and interdisciplinary collaboration to realize resilient, adaptive, and self-sustaining infrastructure in complex urban environments.

Keywords:Cyborg concrete; Bio-hybrid materials; Robotic construction; Artificial intelligence; Self-healing infrastructure

Highlights a) Combines biological systems, robotics, and AI to enable infrastructure that can monitor and repair itself.
b) Integrates microbial self-healing with robotic inspection and data-driven maintenance strategies.
c) Highlights emerging technologies and future research pathways for adaptive and resilient smart infrastructure.