Imagine a small, smart submarine that travels inside city water pipes while the water is still flowing. It scans for cracks and leaks and checks if the water is clean, acting like a health check-up for the city's veins. All this data creates a digital map that tells engineers exactly where a pipe is about to break before it actually happens.
Water utilities lose billions of euros annually due to leaks in aging pipes installed between the 50s and 70s. Current renewal rates are too low because utilities lack precise data on which pipe sections are actually failing.
An autonomous robotic inspection system and a Digital Twin platform for geo-referenced pipeline mapping and condition monitoring.
If you are a municipal water provider dealing with aging infrastructure from the 50s-70s — this project developed a robotic inspection system that identifies leaks and structural risks. This helps save a portion of the €10 billion lost annually due to pipe leakages.
If you are a civil engineering firm dealing with inefficient pipe renewal rates of only 0.6%-0.8% per year — this project developed a Digital Twin platform that identifies exact pipe sections at risk. This allows for better programming of maintenance and renewal activities.
If you are a water quality auditor dealing with the need for non-disruptive monitoring — this project developed an autonomous robot that analyzes drinking water quality inside the pipeline. This ensures safety and reliability without stopping the water supply.
The business model is based on Robotics as a Service (RaaS), providing a subscription-based access to the technology to eliminate high upfront costs for utilities.
Based on available project data, the system is designed for water supply networks and aims to save 143 million cubic metres of drinking water between 2025-2029.
Based on available project data, the project is led by a single SME, ACWA Robotics, which is developing the system for commercialization.
No, the robotic system is designed to navigate and inspect the pipeline without disrupting its operation.
The project period runs from 2024-03-01 to 2026-02-28, with specific water preservation targets set for the 2025-2029 period.
The project is streamlined with a single-partner consortium consisting of one French SME, ACWA Robotics. This 100% industry-led structure indicates a strong focus on commercial viability and rapid market entry rather than academic research.
Contact ACWA Robotics in France
Contact us to explore RaaS partnership opportunities for water infrastructure.
