Scalable and Modular robotic tools for pipeline inspection and repair

欧洲的供水网络分布受到泄漏的困扰，导致惊人的20%的饮用水被浪费。这是一场环境灾难，因为据估计，水和卫生部门目前贡献了全球温室气体排放量的5%。自来水公司正在努力解决这个问题，但供水网络的致命性使人工检查和维修完全不可行。基于技术的解决方案在测量精度和泄漏定位方面具有显著的局限性。最重要的是，它不包含修复。TUBERS通过创建世界上第一个允许24/7检查和有针对性的现场维修的组合机器人平台，大大降低了定期检查和维护的成本，提出了一个新的范例。该系统将包括：（a）蛇形常驻机器人，可长距离操作，并通过管道接头，以在供水网络的大部分区域中导航，（2）模块化软机器人平台，能够使用“尺蠖”移动技术移动，用于检查和维修管道段，具有新颖的维修部署机制（3）高精度检查系统，可检测泄漏，最重要的是，基于编码激励测量腐蚀，这是一种先进的技术，可大大提高信噪比，（4）由可解释机器学习算法驱动的决策支持系统，包含多标准决策分析框架，用于全面规划检查和维护。TUBERS解决方案将在荷兰3家最著名的水务公司运营的真实的供水管网中进行验证。一旦进入市场，我们的解决方案将彻底改变饮用水网络的检查和维修，为运营商提供强大的工具来消除浪费，促进在5年内节省约158 GWh的能源并减少79.000吨二氧化碳排放。

The European water network distribution is plagued by leaks that cause a staggering 20% of drinking water to go wasted. This is an environmental disaster given that water and sanitation sector is currently estimated to contribute up to 5% of global GHG emissions. Water utilities are struggling with this problem however the deadalic nature of water networks make manual inspections and repairs completely non-viable. Technology-based solutions have significant limitations in terms of measurement accuracy and leak localisation. Most importantly they do not encompass repair. TUBERS sets forth a new paradigm by creating the world’s first combination robotic platforms allowing for 24/7 inspection and targeted in-situ repairs, greatly reducing the costs of regular inspection and maintenance. The system will comprise: (a) A snake-like resident robot which can operate over long distances and negotiate pipeline-junctions to navigate large parts of the water network, (2) A modular soft-robotic platform capable of moving using an “inchworm” movement technique, for inspections and repairs of pipe segments featuring a novel repair deployment mechanism (3) A High-accuracy inspection system that can detect leaks and, most importantly, measure corrosion based on coded excitation, an advanced technique that greatly improves Signal to-Noise ratio, (4) A Decision Support System powered by Explainable Machine Learning algorithms incorporating a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis framework for holistic planning of inspection and maintenance. The TUBERS solution will be validated in real water network pipelines operated by 3 of the most prominent water utility companies in the Netherlands. Once it reaches the market, our solution is poised to revolutionise inspection and repair of drinking water networks, providing the operators with powerful tools to eliminate waste, facilitating savings of an estimated 158GWh of energy and reduction of 79.000 tonnes of CO2 emissions within a 5-year period.