Tiny Robots 'Could Help Fix Leaky Water Pipes Without Having To Dig Up Roads'

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'Revolutionary' tiny robots could help end Britain's pothole misery by inspecting leaky water pipes without having to dig up roads, researchers say.

The futuristic miniature machines - called ⁘Pipebots⁘ - are the same size as a toy car, and can track down leaks underground.

Scientists now how the pipebots could ⁘revolutionise⁘ how water infrastructure is managed, and help save some of the three billion litres of water lost through leaky pipes everyday day in England and Wales . Experts from the University of Sheffield say the robots they developed can explore water pipes to check for cracks and faults, identifying potential issues before they even become a problem.

Road works to repair utilities cost the UK economy at least £4 billion per year, and can cause disruption to businesses and residents. Much of the UK's ageing water network dates back to the Victorian era, and totals more than 215,000 miles in length.

Every day, enough water to fill 1,200 Olympic swimming pools is leaked - but currently, the only way for human workers to pinpoint the flaw is by digging and locating a leak in the maze of pipes, a process that proves costly for both businesses and residents.

Now, researchers from the University of Sheffield's School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, working with colleagues at the universities of Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds, say they have developed a range of miniature robots with new sensors that can travel through pipes and check for defects autonomously.

The smallest of the robots measures just 40mm (1.5 inches) wide, and all the bots are equipped with tiny, high-spec acoustic sensors and cameras, which enable them to navigate and detect faults freely.

Without the need to dig up roads or pavements, the research team say a Pipebot ⁘swarm⁘ can be placed in a deployment hub and lowered into a water pipe through a hydrant by an engineer.

The tiny bots will then explore the area, scan for faults, and relay data back to the engineer above ground.