Conduit Crawler
Channel: UNLVECE
Date: 07/06/2019

The Conduit Crawler is a PVC Conduit Inspection Device. Conduit inspections must be performed prior to an installation of underground communication lines like Fiber Optics to ensure a smooth installation. With that being said, the target market of the product is that of corporations that deal with fiber-optic installation, such as the Las Vegas Valley Water District. Conduit sections are typically laid out anywhere between 200 to 1500 feet. Inspections are done section by section. Current methods consist of completing Mandrel Testing, which requires the pipe network to have been flushed or cleaned prior to testing as well as a complete connection from start to finish of a section. The Conduit Crawler will remove that necessity of the Mandrel Testing, and allow for inspections to be performed before a flush is necessary. This allows for the opportunity to see if any damage has taken place to the pipe, and even provide the location of the break. The Conduit Crawler uses LIDAR, laser distance technology, to perform the inspections. This removes the need for lights and provides highly accurate 3D mapping of the conduit. Such data can then also be used for autonomous inspections, using feedback and other related mathematical models