What We Have Done So Far
We’ve made significant strides in turning the Pipebot Patrol concept into a working reality. Key achievements include:
- Designed and built prototypes, 3 iterations, capable of autonomous navigation and inspection within sewer environments (see photos)
- Developed basic robot health indicators
- Inertial device selected to allow us to track Pipebot’s position underground
- Successfully demonstrated 3D LiDAR scanning and acoustic sensing for real-time blockage detection and route planning.
- Launch manhole specification agreed
- Test rig has been built at Sheffield (see photos)
- Launch rig / docking station designed, built and tested on the test rig at Sheffield (see photos)
- Above ground kiosk designed to house the cable reel and terminate power and data connections
- Initial desktop surveys of potential test sites completed
- Location of 1st trial area identified/confirmed, a 200m stretch of foul-only sewer.
- At NWG’s Innovation Festival 2025 held in July we consulted teams on the needs and design of the operator dashboard. We also defined a customer communication plan to ensure customers in test areas are aware and have a chance to ask questions
- Presented the project at WWT Wastewater conference (Jan25), Smart Water Systems Conference (Apr 25), Utility Week Live (May 25), GeoBusiness Conference (Jun 25), RoboSho at IF25 (Jul 25)
Pipebot prototype
Pipebot prototype
Test rig
Launch rig / docking station
Pipebot prototype
What We Are Currently Working On
We’re in the midst of rigorous testing to prove the robot’s ability to operate autonomously in real sewer environments for extended periods. This includes:
- Validating 30-day tethered operation in controlled sewer-like conditions
- Fine-tuning the robot’s 3D LiDAR and acoustic sensing systems for accurate blockage detection and route planning.
- Specifying and designing secure data transfer from Pipebot to kiosk and from kiosk to cloud storage
- Arrangements are being made for the construction of the first kiosk
- Conducting trials to validate the robot’s ability to operate independently for extended periods on the test pipe rig at Sheffield University
- Identifying 2 further test sites: a surface water only sewer and a combined sewer
- Development of the Pipebot dashboard to relay what the robot is doing and finding/reporting
What We Will Be Working On Next
Looking ahead, we’re preparing to transition from testing to deployment. Our next steps include:
- Moving testing from the laboratory and test rig to the live sewer environment
- Constructing the final 2 kiosks, arranging for power and data to be provided
- Enhancing the dashboard and robot functionality based on trial and operator feedback
- Continuing to refine the robot’s AI for smarter navigation and decision-making underground
- Beginning to build a phase 2 Ofwat bid that would cut the tether and go battery-powered, design, build and test multi-sized pipebots, allow multi-robot co-existence and the Pipebot’s first blockage clearing tool.
