THE MAGAZINE FOR THE DRAINAGE, WATER & WASTEWATER INDUSTRIES
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Image courtesy of IKT – Institute for Underground Infrastructure
delegation – Marie Noto from the Tokyo Metropolitan Sewerage Service Corporation and Dr. Eng. Yasuaki Sugimoto from Nippon Koei Co. Ltd. – who did a fantastic job presenting despite language barriers. They shared how using fewer, more clearly defined condition classifications and a staggering amount of high-quality control data had made their AI models more reliable. It was a great example of how keeping things simple can sometimes produce the smartest results.
Another strong thread through the event was digital transformation. Digital twins, BIM, flood prediction, and remote monitoring were all hot topics. WinCan Web is already successfully using AI to detect defects, with strong results in streamlining condition assessments and reducing the need for manual review. Combined with its LiDAR modelling capabilities – used to generate highly detailed models of underground assets – this makes WinCan a powerful tool, leading the way in accurate, data-rich reporting. The detail LiDAR offers is remarkable, but it comes with challenges: large file sizes, demanding storage requirements, and transmission limitations in the field. Looking ahead, there’s potential for LiDAR itself to take on defect detection roles, particularly when integrated with AI, which could reduce reliance on traditional image-based assessments.
Image courtesy of IKT – Institute for Underground Infrastructure
with flexible sensor 'tentacles' that measure everything from gas concentration to water levels. All that info gets sent to the cloud for alerts and analysis. It's clever, useful, and shows just how imaginative this space is becoming.
Sensor tech was another big talking point. Swarm sensors like Jellox – a logger designed for harsh environments – are making real-time, continuous monitoring more realistic. Jellox is inspired by a jellyfish,
This naturally fed into wider conversations about open data and collaboration. The UK’s National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) came up as a strong example of progress – a government-backed platform to support better data sharing between organisations. It makes sense, really. If everyone’s working from the same map, you get fewer surprises and fewer costly mistakes. There’s also a welcome push towards a more standardised approach across the industry. There was broad agreement that if we want to scale innovation, we need to start speaking the same language – literally, when it comes to definitions and formats.
Of course, you can’t talk about modern sewer inspection without talking about drones. Andrews Engineers from Canada gave a great live demo of the Flyability Elios 2 drone flying through IKT’s rather dusty test sewers. It handled it with ease, thanks in no small part to the skilled operators behind the controls. That said, drones come with their own limitations: battery life, signal strength, cost, and, in the case of aerial drones (for aerial mapping), restrictions on where they can fly. Still, they’re incredibly useful tools for reaching dangerous or hard-to-access spaces, and there was no shortage of impressed faces in the demo area.
Image courtesy of IKT – Institute for Underground Infrastructure
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One of the more entertaining and memorable moments came early on Day Two, when attendees were welcomed by “Robo-Hund” – a
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