The University of Sheffield's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering is proud to announce its participation in the PIPEON project, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at revolutionising the inspection and maintenance of Europe's sewer networks through advanced robotics and artificial intelligence.
Funded by the European Commission with a budget of €8 million over four years, PIPEON—Robotics and AI for Sewer Pipe Inspection and Maintenance—is led by Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech). The consortium brings together a diverse group of academic and industrial partners, including the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), University of Milan, Unexmin Georobotics, Headlight AI, Herobots, Water Europe, Baerum Kommune Norway, Hitra Kommune Norway, and Gemeente Heusden in the Netherlands.
The project officially commenced with a kick-off meeting in January held at the ICAIR: The Integrated Civil and Infrastructure Research Centre, where representatives from all partner organisations convened to outline the project's roadmap and initiate collaborative efforts.
Professor Lyudmila Mihaylova, the Principal Investigator for the University of Sheffield's involvement in PIPEON, commented: "Here at Sheffield, we will develop Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies that can provide real-time solutions for robots' sensing, navigation, and analysis tools inside the challenging pipe environments.
We have a strong multidisciplinary team from both the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, including Dr. Sean Anderson, Professor Kirill Horoshenkov, and Professor Simon Tait. The team aims at providing resilient technologies, with an enhanced level of robots' autonomy."
The School’s role will focus on creating AI and machine learning technologies capable of delivering real-time solutions for robotic sensing, navigation, and analysis within the challenging environments of sewer pipes. The multidisciplinary team aims to enhance the autonomy and resilience of these robots, contributing significantly to the project's objectives.
The PIPEON project represents a significant step forward in addressing the complexities associated with maintaining and predicting the lifespan of Europe's extensive sewer networks, which span approximately 3.2 million kilometres. By integrating cutting-edge robotics and AI, the initiative seeks to transform current approaches to pipeline inspection and maintenance, ultimately improving efficiency and reducing environmental risks.
To stay tuned with the project’s developments, please follow the project’s LinkedIn page.