On May 7, 2024, at the “Urban Safety Protection” Technology Expo held in Brisbane, the intelligent pipeline inspection system displayed by the Monash University team attracted widespread attention. This system has been promoted and applied in 5 cities across Australia, with a cumulative inspection of more than 500 kilometers of pipelines and the detection of over 1,200 defects of various types.
“Our core technology is an intelligent inspection algorithm that integrates bionic design, deep learning, and multi-sensor fusion,” introduced Dr. Xupei Yao, the team’s director. “The newly developed fourth-generation equipment adds a wireless charging function, enabling 72 hours of continuous operation.”
A work video played on-site showed that in a drainage pipe with a diameter of 1 meter, the robot advanced stably and maintained normal working conditions even in turbulent water flows. The system automatically marks 12 types of disease points, including cracks, corrosion, sedimentation, joint misalignment, etc., and can predict the remaining service life of the pipeline.
At present, the team has reached cooperation agreements with 3 enterprises, and it is expected to create an output value of more than 1 million US dollars this year.