Castelló uses autonomous drones to inspect its sewer network

The use of drones in underground spaces is increasingly offering competitive advantages over other traditional solutions. Specifically, in the early detection of damage, surveillance, and monitoring of the condition of the urban sewer network and collectors. Thus, the Castelló City Council and FacsaIn collaboration with Hovering Solutions, they have successfully completed a Proof of Concept (PoC). This test involved the inspection of a municipal wastewater collector, managed by the company, and falls within the framework of the Castelló sewer network maintenance contract.

The drone successfully and autonomously surveyed a section of the Vallás sewer line along Camí Fondo, between the fairgrounds and markets and the roundabout near the City of Justice in Castelló, creating a 3D map of the route. This type of operation allows for greater monitoring of the sewer line's condition, enabling analysis of its state and the identification of any necessary repairs. Furthermore, it eliminates the risks that such inspections typically pose to the crew.

This action is part of the commitment of the city council and of Facsa Through open innovation and the application of the latest technological developments to the integrated water cycle management, the technology employed facilitates the safe, simple, and effective detection of various discontinuities. It also allows for a more precise understanding of the system's condition and expedites appropriate action regarding any potential defects in the sewer network.

These drones are capable of navigating the sections to be studied without a pilot or GPS signal. This allows them to avoid potential obstacles along the way. They are equipped with cameras that record footage and capture images of the route. Furthermore, they generate a 3D digital twin, providing a visual and georeferenced view of the site and enabling the precise location of each point under study.

Hovering Solutions' technological proposal is of great value to the development and research objectives for the modernization of the sewerage system and, in general, the integral water cycle, resulting in a tangible improvement for society, a commitment of the Castelló City Council and Facsa.

Drones for inaccessible or dangerous spaces

Hovering Solutions, for its part, is a company that develops value-added solutions in the highly complex field of inspecting hard-to-reach areas. Since its founding in 2016, they have been working to develop small, autonomous drones capable of independently navigating sections of enclosed spaces, such as confined areas, sometimes inaccessible or potentially dangerous, where no signal reaches, making communication with the outside world impossible.