A world-first remote sewer inspection has been completed in NSW by Central Coast council using a remote-controlled vehicle.
Designed and developed by KBR and Emesent to improve the safety, efficiency and accuracy of sewer inspections, the custom-built, remote-controlled vehicle (ROV) is fitted with an Emesent Hovermap ST-X Mobile Laser Scanner (LiDAR) and HD 360 deg CCTV technology.
On its first official mission, it successfully scanned over 640m of sewer pipe between Terrigal and North Avoca – the longest stretch a vehicle of this type has ever completed.
Central Coast council director of water and sewer Jamie loader said the unknown of the tunnel’s conditions prompted the use of the new, safer technology.
“We engaged KBR to perform a number of sewer and tunnel condition assessments in the region. However, given the size, age and unknown condition of the Terrigal tunnel we wanted to see if there was a way to inspect it without sending anyone down as a safety precaution,” he said.
“We’re proud to be the first local government in Australia to deploy this kind of innovative technology for sewer inspections. The results have shown us that there is a safer, more efficient and cost-effective way for us to maintain our infrastructure for the benefit of the community.”
KBR national digital engineering technology manager Hayden Robinson said the data captured with the use of the ROV is comprehensive, alleviating the need for manual inspections in tight and dangerous spaces.
“Compared to traditional CCTV footage, the combined 3D point cloud and high-definition 360 degree CCTV provides us with a digital replica – or digital twin – of the asset, providing more comprehensive and accurate data than has been previously able to obtain,” he said.
“In addition, georeferencing and coordinating the data means we can precisely locate any areas along the length of the pipe that need to be repaired.”
Emesent chief strategy officer and co-founder Stefan Hrabar said the project has been a pleasure to be a part of, and showcased the scanner to its full potential.
“Emesent scanners were designed for exactly this reason – to provide data capture for challenging and inaccessible environments. By attaching our Hovermap scanner to the remote controlled vehicle, we’re able to provide engineers with the data they need to build a 3D digital replica for future maintenance works,” he said.
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