Mini robots will be deployed along water pipes to spot mains leaks before they happen in new trial

Mini robots are to patrol water pipe networks in an attempt to stop three billion litres being lost to leaks every day. Scientists are developing'pipebots' – small, mobile robots with cameras for eyes and all-terrain legs – to find cracks and weaknesses in pipes before they develop into leaks. The devices are being tested at the University of Sheffield's integrated civil and infrastructure research centre, with the aim of deploying them within five years. Some firms already use tethered robots to investigate pipes. But most of the network is inaccessible without digging – a problem the tiny machines are designed to circumvent.