Tiny robots developed to help fix leaky water pipes
Engineers in the UK have developed
micro-robots
-- called
Pipebots
-- that can inspect water pipes, diagnose cracks and fix them autonomously that will help in reducing leaks, avoiding expensive excavation work and save time.
Currently, the only way to pinpoint the flaw is by humans digging and locating a leak in the maze of pipes, which can take days of searching, resulting in high costs and road closures that affect businesses and residents nearby.
In order to address this problem, researchers from the
University of Sheffield
's School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, in collaboration with the universities of Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds, have developed a range of miniature robots with new sensors that can travel through pipes and check for defects autonomously.
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The smallest robot measures 40 mm wide - similar to the size of a toy car. The bots are equipped with tiny, high-specification acoustic sensors and cameras, which enable them to navigate and detect faults freely, a statement from the University said here.
Without the need to dig up roads or pavements, a Pipebot swarm can be placed in a deployment hub and lowered into a water pipe through a hydrant by an engineer. The tiny patrollers will then explore the area, scan for faults, and relay data back to the engineer above ground, the researchers pointed out.
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The Pipebots are equipped with all-terrain legs which enable them to navigate through any difficult paths they might encounter whilst underground, it said, adding, they can also talk to each other within a short range, so they can work together to carry out tasks and problem solve.
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Professor Kirill Horoshenkov, Programme Director and Professor of Acoustics at the University of Sheffield, said: "
Leaky water pipes
are one of the biggest issues facing the water industry, not just here in the UK, but also globally as companies and governments grapple with ageing infrastructure."
"Whilst pipe inspection technologies have improved, it is still incredibly difficult to monitor the condition of water pipes and find leaks in these vast networks, especially when the leaks are small," he said.
He also gave examples of how the Pipebots can "significantly reduce the estimated three billion litres of water lost daily in England and Wales" and how such measures can save the UK economy's "part of the Pounds 4 billion lost annually due to utility street works and related disruptions."
Aside from water pipes, the bots are capable of operating in a range of other environments, including sewers, gas pipes and dangerous sites that are inaccessible to humans.
Professor Horoshenkov added: "The Pipebots project is a great example of the importance of collaboration between universities and industry."
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