Pipebot Patrol is a £1.8m project funded by the Ofwat Water Breakthrough Challenge, that will develop, build and test an autonomous sewer robot that lives in the sewer, constantly inspecting and raising alerts to the precise location of blockages, as they are beginning to form. This proactive approach will allow water and sewerage company maintenance teams enough time to plan and then react before sewer flooding occurs – keeping sewage where it belongs.
Pipebot patrol presents 3 completely new concepts in sewer flooding avoidance:
We are now designing and building the world’s first autonomous robot that actually lives in the sewer for 30 days at a time.
Pipebot Patrol is a game-changer in the field of sewer management, offering:
The Pipebot Patrol project encompasses:
“This funding allows us to progress robotic solutions to monitor sewers and minimise the possibility of sewer flooding to customer properties and environmental impact. Combining robotics, autonomy and acoustics with smart-sewer networks, we’re developing new tools for water companies to meet our performance commitments to reduce sewer flooding.”
— Richard Warneford, Wastewater Director, Northumbrian Water Group
