Tiny robots 'could help fix leaky water pipes without having to dig up roads'

'Revolutionary' tiny robots could help end Britain's pothole misery by inspecting leaky water pipes without having to dig up roads, researchers say.

The futuristic miniature machines - called "Pipebots" - are the same size as a toy car, and can track down leaks underground. Scientists now how the pipebots could "revolutionise" how water infrastructure is managed, and help save some of the three billion litres of water lost through leaky pipes everyday day in England and Wales. Experts from the University of Sheffield say the robots they developed can explore water pipes to check for cracks and faults, identifying potential issues before they even become a problem.

Road works to repair utilities cost the UK economy at least £4 billion per year, and can cause disruption to businesses and residents. Much of the UK’s ageing water network dates back to the Victorian era, and totals more than 215,000 miles in length.

Every day, enough water to fill 1,200 Olympic swimming pools is leaked - but currently, the only way for human workers to pinpoint the flaw is by digging and locating a leak in the maze of pipes, a process that proves costly for both businesses and residents.

Now, researchers from the University of Sheffield’s School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, working with colleagues at the universities of Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds, say they have developed a range of miniature robots with new sensors that can travel through pipes and check for defects autonomously.

The smallest of the robots measures just 40mm (1.5 inches) wide, and all the bots are equipped with tiny, high-spec acoustic sensors and cameras, which enable them to navigate and detect faults freely.

Without the need to dig up roads or pavements, the research team say a Pipebot "swarm" can be placed in a deployment hub and lowered into a water pipe through a hydrant by an engineer.

The tiny bots will then explore the area, scan for faults, and relay data back to the engineer above ground.

The research team say the Pipebots are "intelligent" and will avoid any restricted areas, such as customer connections, and work together to clear areas quickly and efficiently.

The Pipebots are equipped with all-terrain legs which enable them to navigate through any difficult paths they might encounter while underground, andcan also "talk" to each other to carry out tasks and problem solve.

Hailing the development, Programme director Professor Kirill Horoshenkov 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.

“The Pipebots we have developed could revolutionise how we maintain our water infrastructure and could significantly reduce the estimated three billion litres of water lost daily in England and Wales. The bots would lessen the strain on resources and potentially save the UK economy part of the £4 billion lost annually due to utility street works and related disruptions."

Aside from water pipes, the bots are capable of operating in other environments, he said, including sewers, gas pipes and dangerous sites that are inaccessible to humans.