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DHFranklin t1_j2j213v wrote

Sorry to be the stop-having-fun-guy but I'm a utility inspector.

We already have these. Pipe snakes and camera rovers that are typically tethered. Manhole to manhole isn't enough distance to really warrant a wireless solution. Especially when you may have to yank it back out when it gets stuck.

They don't really need to be miniaturized more than they are. The only real bottleneck (that puns was for me) is the labor cost. You don't really eliminate that with a more high tech solution. You're really just making IT guys crawl under manholes instead.

The best way to get ahead of this problem is better code enforcement ans spending money on maintenance that has largely been ignored. However, like with all government spending on infrastructure that doesn't get anyone re-elected.

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Shmeepsheep t1_j2j9n9n wrote

I do love stupid articles like this. They make it seem like it's something innovative yet it's been around for a long time already. And I especially agree with it needing to be tethered to get pulled. The wifi one get stuck in a pipe, you just leaving your $25000 camera down there? No, now you need to send people in just to recover it before it causes a back up

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Mricypaw1 t1_j2kh2q5 wrote

> They make it seem like it's something innovative yet it's been around for a long time already

I mean not really. They explicitly mention in the article (and include a photo) of the traditional tethered robots that already exist, and then explain the advantages of this new approach.

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gosshawk89 t1_j2jzz75 wrote

Agree with you, also these "robots" won't be able to work in a pressurised pipe, so what's the point? When potable water mains burst/leak, there are much better ways of finding it than busting the main open at a perfectly good section to put some robots in.

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DHFranklin t1_j2kgs90 wrote

Well sure, but pressurized pipe can be tested with hydrostatic testing at fire hydrants. Smoke testing too if they're old school. If they are chasing down a leak, there is a good chance that they will just shut off water for a day over a city block or housing development while they cam the entire system.

Not to be contrary, but I'm sure that what ever instrumentation would be called for to cam the pipe would be the same to have one of these little robots in. If they were faster then tethered robots or you could let a swarm run through pipes, that might be the good cost/benefit.

I would like to see those tiny gimbled drones that are 3" that could fly through 4" pipe.

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bogglingsnog t1_j2no1n8 wrote

Yeah what the heck. The robots aren't stopping anything, totally misleading title. Where are my pipe-sealing autonomous vehicles?

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