INAPDRON

Descripció del projecte

The INAPDRON project arises from the need to respond to the challenges posed by repairs and regular or preventive maintenance of water distribution and collection networks. These challenges are increased considering the difficulty of obtaining information or performing repair tasks in certain remote or difficult-to-access points of these networks. These difficulties involve a great effort on the part of the network operators to ensure the correct operation of the same and to detect in advance, leaks, wear, fissures, blockages or breakdowns in the pipes.

The aim of the INAPDRON project is to define the current requirements of the different actors linked to the management of water networks, analyze the available technology and develop solutions through the design of drones, which can be useful for monitoring the state of the networks and raw, potable and waste water pipes, either with the presence of low water, a significant level of water or with the pipe under pressure. The approach of the project is to sequentially develop three types of drones (aerial, underwater and hybrid) that must be able to operate and move within the various types of pipes, in addition to being geolocable and able to collect information from first hand through its equipment with various types of sensors, transmitting this information in real time to the operating entities.
The project is financed by the call for aid to the Innovative Business Groups (AEI) of the MINCOTUR. It is led by the CWP and participated by several of its associated entities such as Aigües de Vic, Aigües de Manresa, Depuradores d’Osona and Hidrotec Sanejament.