The Lighthouse leak-detecting robot travels through pipes to detect leaks and help reduce water waste.
Developed by the startup Watchtower Robotics, the soft, flexible Lighthouse robot is designed to travel efficiently through narrow, liquid-filled pipes. As it follows the flow of water, the bot monitors and records the changing suction pressures and notes their locations. The Lighthouse drone can then be recovered from a hydrant and its data analyzed, allowing technicians to find leaks in the pipe system before they become catastrophic.
The Lighthouse robot was recently awarded a U.S. James Dyson Award.