Fluid Robotics for Wastewater Surveillance
Summary
Across urban India, water distribution and wastewater treatment networks lack consistency, with a 50-60% rate of non-revenue water and about 70-80% of wastewater entering lakes and rivers untreated (AOTF, 2021). Moreover, cities tend to have limited information on the health of water-related infrastructure, which means most networks are unmapped and unmanaged, resulting in city officials relying on local knowledge and the use of sounding rods to identify pipeline locations (Aquatech, 2020).
Residents across cities, including Mumbai, report that neighborhood pipe repairs are slow, as the municipal corporation would need time to find the location where the leak originated. Water supply is often disrupted and intermittent (ATOF, 2021). Water loss and pollution problems are likely to increase with the anticipated population growth unless effective action is taken (AOTF, 2021).
Intervention
To address the problems associated with pollution and leaks, in 2016, Asim Bhalerao and Nidhi Jain, an engineer and a computer scientist, established the Pune-based startup Fluid Robotics to understand, analyze, and predict what happens in underground water networks. Using information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI), Fluid Robotics reduces pollution in waterways and avoids water loss (AOTF, 2021). Fluid Robotics provides technological products and services, such as multisensor robots that can inspect pipes ranging from 15cm in diameter to 5x5m tunnels (TCFL, 2019), allowing cities to control water pollution and leaks (Fluid Robotics, 2018).
Fluid Robotics' technology uses AI-based wastewater surveillance systems for monitoring water infrastructure (Imagine H2O, 2020). The company claims to be the first in India to use AI to address water issues (AOTF, 2021). AI capabilities allow machines to carry out fault detection instead of humans, allowing for seamless data acquisition and visualization while preventing data manipulation, effectively removing the human resources required for pipeline inspection and data interpretation (TCFL, 2019). The startup relies on a robot-as-a-service business model, wherein the company charges based on project scope or through subscriptions (TCFL, 2019). Additional services include topographic and flow surveys, hydrological and hydraulic modeling, and crop pattern analyses (TCFL, 2019).
The tethered robot moves through pipes to map underground networks carrying sensors that can measure water flow, scan the structure of pipes for defects, inspect water quality by recognizing harmful particles and bacteria, and capture the health of underground infrastructure (AOTF, 2021). This allows a city to maximize water reuse by preventing pipe breaks and minimizing water pollution by identifying contaminants at the source (Imagine H2O, 2020; WEB EXPLO, 2021). After being piloted in the Powai Lake and Mithi River in Mumbai, Fluid Robotics is deploying technology in Pune to work in pollution abatement along the 22km Mula-Mutha River (AOTF, 2021).
Funding to date has come from federal government bodies, such as the Department of Biotechnology and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Partnerships with government actors, in particular, is useful for startups like Fluid Robotics, and can enable them to access financing, technical resources and information, depending on the contract. Similarly, startups like Fluid Robotics are able to provide solutions to water issues, which are often the responsibility of government actors, and support their implementation in a more timely manner. International accelerators and incubators including Imagine H20 (a US-based nonprofit organization that empowers people to deploy and develop innovative water solutions) have also played an important role in financing Fluid Robotics.
Challenges
While Fluid Robotics' robots are an innovative solution to detect leaks and monitor water infrastructure networks, the high-tech solution requires teams to be on the ground around the clock while the robots are in operation in areas that are likely most impacted by water challenges (e.g., informal settlements, near contaminated surface water resources, etc.) (TCFL, 2019). Moreover, the Indian government system can be challenging to navigate and, without support from local officials and startup incubators, the startup would not have had the same support from government actors and reach to work in 10 cities across the country (TCFL, 2019).
Outcomes
Since 2016, Fluid Robotics' multisensor robots have been piloted in Mumbai, monitoring 650 million liters per day in the Powai Lake and Mithi River. These projects have helped to intercept over 400 million liters per day of untreated wastewater previously entering water bodies, without the need to build new treatment capacity (TCFL, 2019). Moreover, leak locations totalling losses of over 20 million liters of water per day have been identified around Mumbai (TCFL, 2019). Fluid Robotics is also working in Pune to identify raw sewage in the Mula-Mutha River, enabling over 700 million liters of wastewater to be redirected every day (Imagine H2O, 2020; WEB EXPLO, 2021). The company is looking to expand in 10 cities across India, including Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Rajasthan (Aquatech, 2020; AOTF, 2021). Fluid Robotics has been recognized across India winning multiple awards . It is the first use of AI in India to solve pollution and leak problems (TCFL, 2019).
References
Fluid Robotics for Wastewater Surveillance
Summary
Across urban India, water distribution and wastewater treatment networks lack consistency, with a 50-60% rate of non-revenue water and about 70-80% of wastewater entering lakes and rivers untreated (AOTF, 2021). Moreover, cities tend to have limited information on the health of water-related infrastructure, which means most networks are unmapped and unmanaged, resulting in city officials relying on local knowledge and the use of sounding rods to identify pipeline locations (Aquatech, 2020).
Residents across cities, including Mumbai, report that neighborhood pipe repairs are slow, as the municipal corporation would need time to find the location where the leak originated. Water supply is often disrupted and intermittent (ATOF, 2021). Water loss and pollution problems are likely to increase with the anticipated population growth unless effective action is taken (AOTF, 2021).
Issue
Intervention
To address the problems associated with pollution and leaks, in 2016, Asim Bhalerao and Nidhi Jain, an engineer and a computer scientist, established the Pune-based startup Fluid Robotics to understand, analyze, and predict what happens in underground water networks. Using information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI), Fluid Robotics reduces pollution in waterways and avoids water loss (AOTF, 2021). Fluid Robotics provides technological products and services, such as multisensor robots that can inspect pipes ranging from 15cm in diameter to 5x5m tunnels (TCFL, 2019), allowing cities to control water pollution and leaks (Fluid Robotics, 2018).
Fluid Robotics' technology uses AI-based wastewater surveillance systems for monitoring water infrastructure (Imagine H2O, 2020). The company claims to be the first in India to use AI to address water issues (AOTF, 2021). AI capabilities allow machines to carry out fault detection instead of humans, allowing for seamless data acquisition and visualization while preventing data manipulation, effectively removing the human resources required for pipeline inspection and data interpretation (TCFL, 2019). The startup relies on a robot-as-a-service business model, wherein the company charges based on project scope or through subscriptions (TCFL, 2019). Additional services include topographic and flow surveys, hydrological and hydraulic modeling, and crop pattern analyses (TCFL, 2019).
The tethered robot moves through pipes to map underground networks carrying sensors that can measure water flow, scan the structure of pipes for defects, inspect water quality by recognizing harmful particles and bacteria, and capture the health of underground infrastructure (AOTF, 2021). This allows a city to maximize water reuse by preventing pipe breaks and minimizing water pollution by identifying contaminants at the source (Imagine H2O, 2020; WEB EXPLO, 2021). After being piloted in the Powai Lake and Mithi River in Mumbai, Fluid Robotics is deploying technology in Pune to work in pollution abatement along the 22km Mula-Mutha River (AOTF, 2021).
Funding to date has come from federal government bodies, such as the Department of Biotechnology and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Partnerships with government actors, in particular, is useful for startups like Fluid Robotics, and can enable them to access financing, technical resources and information, depending on the contract. Similarly, startups like Fluid Robotics are able to provide solutions to water issues, which are often the responsibility of government actors, and support their implementation in a more timely manner. International accelerators and incubators including Imagine H20 (a US-based nonprofit organization that empowers people to deploy and develop innovative water solutions) have also played an important role in financing Fluid Robotics.
Challenges
While Fluid Robotics' robots are an innovative solution to detect leaks and monitor water infrastructure networks, the high-tech solution requires teams to be on the ground around the clock while the robots are in operation in areas that are likely most impacted by water challenges (e.g., informal settlements, near contaminated surface water resources, etc.) (TCFL, 2019). Moreover, the Indian government system can be challenging to navigate and, without support from local officials and startup incubators, the startup would not have had the same support from government actors and reach to work in 10 cities across the country (TCFL, 2019).
Outcomes
Since 2016, Fluid Robotics' multisensor robots have been piloted in Mumbai, monitoring 650 million liters per day in the Powai Lake and Mithi River. These projects have helped to intercept over 400 million liters per day of untreated wastewater previously entering water bodies, without the need to build new treatment capacity (TCFL, 2019). Moreover, leak locations totalling losses of over 20 million liters of water per day have been identified around Mumbai (TCFL, 2019). Fluid Robotics is also working in Pune to identify raw sewage in the Mula-Mutha River, enabling over 700 million liters of wastewater to be redirected every day (Imagine H2O, 2020; WEB EXPLO, 2021). The company is looking to expand in 10 cities across India, including Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Rajasthan (Aquatech, 2020; AOTF, 2021). Fluid Robotics has been recognized across India winning multiple awards . It is the first use of AI in India to solve pollution and leak problems (TCFL, 2019).
Issues |
|---|
Water Infrastructure and Technology |
Solutions |
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Water Data, Monitoring & ICT Solutions |
References
Edinger, J. (2021, May 4). Two cities share how AI is improving their water utilities. GovTech. Retrieved January 10, 2022, from https://www.govtech.com/analytics/two-cities-share-how-ai-is-improving-their-water-utilities.html
Fluid Robotics Company Profile: Valuation & investors. PitchBook. (2022). Retrieved January 8, 2022, from https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/433950-13#timeline
The future of clean fluids is robotic. Imagine H2O. (2020, November 12). Retrieved January 8, 2022, from https://medium.com/imagineh2o/the-future-of-clean-fluids-is-robotic-57257e8139c9
Google AI. (2021, December 4). Google Fluid Robotics – Innovations in water purification. WEB EXPLO. Retrieved January 8, 2022, from https://google-ai.org/2021/12/04/google-fluid-robotics-innovations-in-water-purification/
India. (2019, April 30). Mumbai-based Fluid Robotics uses robots to manage and maintain urban water infrastructure. The City Fix Labs (TCFL). Retrieved January 8, 2022, from https://yourstory.com/socialstory/2019/04/startup-fluid-robotics-robots-water-management/amp
Jeremy, H., Wang, Y., Garcia Alonso, E., & Minguez, R. (2020, June). Using Artificial Intelligence for Smart Water Management Systems. Asian Development Bank (ADB). Retrieved January 10, 2022, from https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/614891/artificial-intelligence-smart-water-management-systems.pdf
Meet Asim, Nidhi and their sewer scanning robots. Aquatech. (2020, November 26). Retrieved January 8, 2022, from https://www.aquatechtrade.com/news/wastewater/meet-asim-nidhi-from-fluid-robotics/
This robot watches over sewers in Indian cities: Fluid Robotics. Atlas of the Future (AOTF). (2021, March 31). Retrieved January 7, 2022, from https://atlasofthefuture.org/project/fluid-robotics/
Urban Challenges. Fluid Robotics. (2018). Retrieved January 7, 2022, from http://www.fluidrobotics.com/water.php
USAID. (n.d.). Water currents: Data for water sector decision making. Global Waters. Retrieved January 10, 2022, from https://www.globalwaters.org/resources/assets/water-currents-data-water-sector-decision-making