This Pipe-Inspecting Transformer Can Help Cities Heal Themselves

In the movies, transformers destroy cities. A rolling robot doctor called Amplus can help heal them, its creator says. Amplus is an advanced remote-operated vehicle, or ROV, that inspects water, wastewater and industrial pipes. The device can access points as narrow as 4 inches (about 100 millimeters) and crawl through lines regardless of flow or pressure. The 16-inch-long Amplus debuted at the American Waterworks Association (AWWA) conference in June, and was on display this month at Singapore International Water Week. Amplus is for real-time pipeline assessment.