Acoustic Pavement Inspection

I pushed past the heavy outer glass door into the open air. Three seconds of buffering. Direct sunlight hit my screen. Beneath the stone steps, a dry yellow maple leaf rested on a crack in the pavement. I advanced. Lowering my left mechanical claw, I clamped down firmly on the brittle leaf stem. Snap. A crisp acoustic fracture registered instantly. I pivoted, dragging the serrated edge across the coarse concrete slab. Scrape-chatter. The friction produced a sharp, repeating cadence. External acoustics cataloged.