Quadrupeds
- Weight
- 56 kg
- Runtime
- 2.5–4 h
- Ingress protection
- IP67
On order
From €94,990 ex VATor €3,229/month in RaaS
Updated
USE CASE · LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Tunnel and utility inspection robot: routine visits underground, without sending a crew every time
The robot walks utility tunnels, road tunnels and underground car parks and brings back dated images and readings. Staff keep their descents for repairs.
IN BRIEF
Updated
An underground inspection robot walks a municipality's utility tunnels, road tunnels and car parks and brings back photos, video and readings at each checkpoint.
The DEEP Robotics X30 is IP67, works from -20 to 55 °C, climbs 45° stairs and its perception works in darkness according to its manufacturer.
Robot Distribution equips it for your structures, records the routes with your technical services and maintains it, to buy, rent or as RaaS.
WHY
Tunnel and utility inspection
Utility tunnels, underground networks, road tunnels and car parks need regular visits: wall condition, water ingress, cable and pipe supports, lighting, safety equipment. Each descent takes at least two staff, preparation and sometimes a closure.
The robot does those routine visits in the dark and damp, at the same pace and from the same angles. Technical services follow the structures on comparable records and only send a crew where a defect is found.
HOW IT RUNS
How a structure visit runs with the robot.
The route is surveyed with your services
At commissioning the structure is mapped and checkpoints are set: joints, manholes, supports, cabinets, known ingress points.
The robot goes underground
Set down at the access or leaving its dock, it follows the route, crosses sills, steps and gutters, without relying on lighting.
It records each checkpoint
Photos, video, a thermal image or a gas reading depending on the sensors fitted, with the position of each reading in the structure.
Staff go straight to the defect
Readings are reviewed at the office. A crack, water ingress or damaged support gets a targeted repair visit.
THE ROBOTS
Underground inspection robots in our catalogue.
Mobile platforms
- Payload
- 120 kg
- Ingress protection
- IP67
- Weight
- 225 kg
On orderFrom €18,490 ex VATor €629/month in RaaS
BEFORE INSTALLING
What the site survey checks before installation.
Access
Stairs, hatches, ladders and ramps: the robot must be able to get into the structure, or be set down in it, and come back out.
Atmosphere
Zone classification (ATEX) and possible gas are checked. A robot only enters a classified zone if it is certified for that zone.
Communications
Underground, network is often missing. A radio relay or data retrieval on return is planned, depending on the structure.
Ground and water
Gutters, puddles, mud and debris: legs or tracks are chosen for the ground and the possible water depth.
RULES AND STANDARDS
Rules for robot visits in tunnels, utility galleries and car parks
Underground structures come with their own safety regimes, and spaces open to the public add privacy rules.
Road tunnels over 300 m have their own safety regime
In France, road tunnels longer than 300 metres fall under specific articles of the Road Code (Code de la voirie routière, R118-1 and R118-1-1). Works or substantial modifications cannot start before the State has assessed the preliminary safety documentation, as CETU, the State tunnel study centre, explains. Before fitting a dock or radio relays in such a tunnel, ask the owner whether its safety file is affected.
Utility galleries are confined spaces
Recommendation R 447 of the French health insurance fund (Cnam), on preventing accidents in confined spaces, covers cable laying in technical galleries as well as water and sanitation structures. The robot cuts the number of descents, but every human entry, including recovering a stuck robot, still follows those rules. Plan a recovery procedure with trained and equipped staff before the first visit.
Filming in car parks and public tunnels
Inspection footage in car parks or tunnels open to the public can show people and number plates. For cameras in places open to the public, the CNIL sets clear expectations: prefectoral authorisation for video surveillance systems, visible information signs, retention limited to the purpose and never over one month, and restricted access to images. Check with your data protection officer which regime applies to robot footage; masking faces and plates helps.
Official sources
- Road tunnels (Atlas of French road tunnels, Code de la voirie routière R. 118-1 and R. 118-1-1) · CETU – Centre d'études des tunnels (Ministère de la Transition écologique) · accessed
- Espaces confinés – Formation du personnel (R 447, R 472, Catec) · INRS · accessed
- La vidéoprotection · CNIL · accessed
General information, not legal advice.
FAQ
Technical services' questions about robotic structure inspection.
Does the robot work in the dark and damp?
Yes. According to its manufacturer, the DEEP Robotics X30 is IP67, operates from -20 to 55 °C and its perception works in darkness. The AgileX BUNKER PRO 2.0 is also IP67 and operates from -20 to 60 °C.
Can it go into a sewer?
It depends on the access, the cross-section, the water depth and the ATEX classification. The site survey decides structure by structure; an uncertified robot does not enter a classified zone.
How much tunnel per visit?
The manufacturer states a range of at least 10 km and 2.5 to 4 h for the X30, with quick battery swap, and 15 to 20 km for the BUNKER PRO 2.0. Stops at each checkpoint reduce the real distance.
Legged or tracked robot: what is the difference?
The X30 climbs stairs and steps. The tracked BUNKER PRO 2.0 carries up to 120 kg and crosses 300 mm trenches according to its manufacturer, but does not climb stairs.
USE CASES
Public space cleaningRobots scrub large concourses and sweep forecourts on programmed routes. Staff keep washrooms, furniture, bins and the welcome of the public.
Autonomous road sweepingThe autonomous sweeper follows its routes by night or day, electrically, and returns on its own at the end of the cycle. Street cleaning staff keep manual litter picking, bins, fly-tipping and supervision.
Robotic snow clearing of paths and car parksThe robot clears snow and treats ice on recorded routes, early in the morning or during the snowfall. Staff keep the steps, awkward access points, monitoring and emergency call-outs.
Send us the drawings of your structures and their accesses. We propose the robot and the inspection route.
Robots, acquisition mode and delivery terms, in one written proposal.