Uitdaging

Within the management area of De Vlaamse Waterweg (DVW), there are more than 120 historic siphon culverts, the structural condition of which is largely unknown. These siphon culverts are necessary, among other things, to preserve the habitat of non-navigable watercourses that cross the waterways managed by DVW. Due to their limited accessibility and permanent submersion, traditional inspection methods are no longer feasible from a technical, operational, and safety perspective. As a result, crucial information for riskmanagement, maintenance planning, and ecological monitoring is lacking.

This project is developing a new generation of compact inspection drones specifically designed for narrow, submerged culverts. The innovation lies in the integration of multiple technologies into a single autonomously deployable platform: high-resolution cameras, sonar imaging, a module to remove sediment for real-time image optimization, sensors for density and leak detection, volumetric sediment measurement, and an automated system for sediment sampling.  

This combination does not currently exist on the market and offers a breakthrough solution to a persistent inspection problem within water infrastructure. The drone enables safe, reproducible, and data-driven inspections without extensive preparations. The project thus creates an innovative methodology that can be deployed in Flanders and internationally, with clear commercialization opportunities for water managers, engineering firms, and contractors.