Project Update 13 August 2026

Hello everyone

We've been a bit quiet since our last update in December 2025, and we wanted to share some of the progress that's been made.

The team has continued to make great strides with the Pipebot project, carrying out extensive testing both in the laboratory and within live sewer networks at our Seaham test site.

We're pleased to report that Pipebot has successfully demonstrated a number of key capabilities, including navigating through sewer pipes, identifying blockages, creating detailed pipe maps, and transmitting valuable data back to the project team. These achievements mark important milestones in proving how the technology could support future sewer network inspections.

The additional trials have provided valuable insights into how Pipebot performs in real-world sewer environments. The lessons learned will help inform the next stage of development and support ongoing efforts to further enhance the technology's capabilities.

More recently, we hosted a dedicated sprint session at our Innovation Festival, bringing together colleagues and stakeholders to explore what comes next for Pipebots following the completion of the project. The session sparked some exciting discussions around future opportunities and potential applications for this innovative technology.

Thank you for your continued interest in the project.

Thanks

The Project Team