(Wired) – Poorly maintained sewers can have disastrous consequences, but regular inspections can be time-consuming, expensive, and dangerous. The solution: subterranean dung drones.

The key to preventing disasters like this is regular inspection of sewer lines, hunting down any cracks and fissures that, if left unattended, can lead to soil ingress and eventual collapse of the pipe. But sewer pipes can be dark, cramped and filled with pockets of gas, making inspecting large networks using traditional methods (typically a tethered, remotely operated crawler fitted with a camera or even in-person) a slow, costly and often hazardous process.

This is where drones come in. Designed and engineered to operate in confined spaces, a new generation of flying robots is being sent into sewers to perform inspections in a safer, more efficient way. (Read More)