German Water Projects Use Diving Robot and Install New Pipes

Scientists at the TU Freiberg are testing an autonomous diving robot to inspect the historic Malter reservoir dam in the Osterzgebirge. The submersible will navigate along the concrete wall, capture sonar data and thousands of photos, and use artificial‑intelligence filtering to identify potential cracks or damages, allowing divers to focus only on the most critical spots and reducing inspection costs.

The Peine water association is renewing a 320‑metre stretch of aged cast‑iron water mains in Dransfeld. Replacing the 1960s‑era grey‑cast pipes with modern 11‑cm plastic tubes, the project will cost about €500,000 and employ a closed‑system trenchless drilling method to minimise surface disruption, keeping traffic and water supply uninterrupted.