Robotic Spiders Could Soon Crawl Into Japan’s Sewer Pipes For Inspections

Could the solution to humans’ distaste to taking on sewer inspection roles be… robotic spiders? While that sounds like something out of a horror film, Japanese robotics company TMSUK thinks they’re the way forward to make the job easier for workers.

The firm has come up with the ‘SPD1’, a multi-legged spider prototype that walks, measuring 8.3 inches by 9.8 inches by 11 inches, and weighing around 7.7 pounds. Its primary purpose will be to venture into sewage pipes that are currently too narrow for people to enter. 

According to a video shared by IEEE Spectrum, it appears the robot is controlled via an attached cable, with the operator using a controller similar to that of a video game console to dictate its movements.  

New Atlas reports that the employee manning the controls is able to view the real-time video feed from the spider’s onboard camera, which could be either a Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2 or  XDV360 360-degree camera. 

Intriguingly, the robot’s large “eyes” double up as LED spotlights, and comprises sensors that help it navigate its surroundings while scouting out the sewage tunnels. 

The firm posits it would be better to send the prototypes in groups of three instead of just one robot, so the first spider can figure out the terrain, the second can identify areas requiring repairs, and the third to actually perform the necessary fixes. 

Going forward, the SPD1 will be demonstrated at a “sewage pipe survey site” to test out its capabilities, with the company planning to announce its commercial availability thereafter. 

[via New Atlas and TMSUK via IEEE Spectrum]