PIPEON at a glance

Bringing together cutting-edge robotics, AI, and predictive maintenance, the EU-funded project PIPEON is transforming sewer inspection and management to ensure resilient, efficient, and sustainable wastewater systems across Europe.

The Challenges

Limited Sewer Network Visibility – Many sewers remain unmapped, leading to undetected defects, unexpected failures, and costly emergency repairs.
Inefficient & Outdated Inspections – Current manual CCTV analysis is time-consuming, costly, and prone to human error, delaying maintenance actions.
Harsh & Hazardous Environments – Corrosive, abrasive, and gas-filled sewer conditions make human access and traditional robots ineffective.
Frequent Blockages & Pollution Risks – Clogs from fats, textiles, and debris cause sewage overflows, threatening ecosystems and public health.
Reactive vs. Predictive Maintenance – Sewer failures are only addressed after they occur, increasing repair costs, infrastructure degradation, and environmental impact.

What’s PIPEON about?

The PIPEON project is developing AI-driven robotic solutions to optimise sewer inspection and maintenance. Currently, sewer networks suffer from outdated monitoring, frequent blockages, and costly reactive maintenance, leading to wastewater spills and infrastructure failures. PIPEON’s autonomous robots navigate harsh sewer environments, detecting defects, removing blockages, and installing sensors in inaccessible areas.

Objectives

Develop AI-driven robots capable of navigating, inspecting, and maintaining sewers in corrosive, abrasive, and hazardous environments.

Enhance predictive maintenance by enabling real-time defect detection, risk assessment, and proactive repairs to prevent failures.

Improve sewer network mapping and monitoring through advanced sensors and AI-powered data fusion, providing real-time insights for utilities.

Reduce sewage spills and environmental impact by automating clog removal and leak detection, cutting wastewater overflows by 30%.

Increase cost-efficiency and sustainability by cutting inspection costs by 10x with robotic automation, smart decision-making, and digital twin technology.

PIPEON solutions
Technologies and Innovations

Limited Sewer Network Visibility – Many sewers remain unmapped, leading to undetected defects, unexpected failures, and costly emergency repairs.
Inefficient & Outdated Inspections – Current manual CCTV analysis is time-consuming, costly, and prone to human error, delaying maintenance actions.
Harsh & Hazardous Environments – Corrosive, abrasive, and gas-filled sewer conditions make human access and traditional robots ineffective.
Frequent Blockages & Pollution Risks – Clogs from fats, textiles, and debris cause sewage overflows, threatening ecosystems and public health.
Reactive vs. Predictive Maintenance – Sewer failures are only addressed after they occur, increasing repair costs, infrastructure degradation, and environmental impact.

Expected Results and Impact

AI-driven autonomous robots for sewer inspection and predictive maintenance
Smart manipulators to remove blockages and install flow monitors in inaccessible areas
Advanced sensors and machine learning algorithms for real-time anomaly detection and sewer mapping
Risk-aware mission planning to prevent robot failures in hazardous conditions
Digital twin technology to model sewer performance and optimize proactive maintenance strategies