Every day, the United Kingdom (UK) loses about three billion liters of water due to leaks in its aging pipe network. That is enough to fill over 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools or supply nearly 20 million people. Currently, the only way to check underground pipes is by digging up roads. This process take days and costs billions of dollars. It also disrupts nearby businesses and homes.
To fix the problem, engineers at the University of Sheffield have built tiny robots called Pipebots. Each is only 4 cm wide and can be placed into the water system through fire hydrants. Once inside, they crawl through the pipes, using sensors and cameras to find leaks. The information is sent to engineers above ground.
The intelligent bots work in groups, allowing them to cover large areas quickly. They can even handle simple repairs on their own. Besides water pipes, Pipebots can also be used to inspect sewer and gas lines. By finding problems early, they can prevent them from becoming big and costly.
Pipebots are currently being tested in real-world settings, such as sewer networks and highway drains. These trials will help researchers refine the robots’ design and performance. Once ready, swarms of the tiny bots could regularly monitor pipe networks across the UK and beyond.
Resources: Interestingengineering.com, Sheffield.ac.uk