Embracing Change Through Innovation: The Pipe-I Robot

In recent years, aerial drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, have significantly transformed surveying practices, enabling surveyors to conduct their work from safe locations while the drones explore the skies. However, a notable gap remains in the ability to conduct remote surveys within confined or hazardous environments. Traditional methods, including static scanning, still expose surveyors to risks of unsafe entry, particularly in deteriorating infrastructure that's hidden underground or in slow collapse. Often, these spaces cannot be safely accessed even with confined space protocols, due to risks of structural failure, debris, gas presence, or damage that prevent the use of drones or conventional CCTV cameras.

The growing demand from projects and engineers for extensive measurement data in such precarious environments underscores the urgency for innovative solutions. A case in point was a compromised culvert along a remote state highway in the East Cape, where assessing the extent of deformation and cracks was critical for structural integrity decisions. The need for precise measurements and high-quality imagery without endangering human lives led to the development of Beca's Pipe-i: a groundbreaking, robust robotic platform designed for all-terrain 3D scanning and 360-degree photo capture. This mobile, purpose-built device significantly enhances data collection capabilities, safely accessing areas that are off-limits to humans and outperforming traditional survey methods by delivering comprehensive, detailed data without the necessity of human entry.