Towards autonomous sewer robots: the MAKRO project

We expose current research and development in information technology that deals with building and controlling autonomous service robots for performing inspection tasks in sewerage systems that are inaccessible for humans. The problem is explained, the physical and legal boundary conditions for operating sewer robots are described, the state of current sewer inspection technology is sketched, and the need for using advanced technology in this area motivated. Respective work that we have been doing for the last four years, and that is currently being pursued in the MAKRO project, is presented. The main technological and control problems are described, and how Artificial Intelligence research and technology may be employed to solve the latter.