September 26 – October 4, 2023
INLECOM is honoured to be a partner and Use Case Leader (on motorway tunnels) in the European Project PILOTING, taking part in pioneering trials with state-of-the-art robots for a number of tunnel inspection applications. The project’s goal is to drive significant advancements in tunnel inspection, monitoring, and evaluation while prioritizing safety and optimizing time and costs.
With the invaluable support of EGNATIA ODOS AE, the PILOTING project recently completed the last series of extensive field validation tests in two tunnels located along the Egnatia Motorway in Metsovo, Northern Greece.These trials put the PILOTING project’s innovative robots to the test, assessing the 3.5 km long Metsovo road tunnel and a deep drainage tunnel. We seamlessly integrated these cutting-edge technologies into the PILOTING Inspection & Maintenance (I&M) platform, resulting in a comprehensive digital inspection solution that uses robots from start to finish.
Here are some of the standout technologies that were utilized:
- CART, an advanced ground robot from ROBOTNIK, designed for comprehensive tunnel inspections with on-board sensors and high-quality image-capturing devices (ICCS).
- 3D laser scanning for capturing tunnel deformations with a millimetre accuracy (INLECOM).
- TT-DRONE, a drone from USE, tailored for detailed aerial visual inspections in specific tunnel areas.
The results of our inspections in the Egnatia Motorway tunnels are currently under evaluation by the partners within the PILOTING project, who are comparing them with the outcomes of traditional inspections.
We take great pride in establishing the European PILOTING Program as a global hub for tunnel inspection innovation and sustainability. The findings and solutions generated during this project could serve as the foundation for future commercial products, slated for release in late 2024.
This project has received funding from the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under GA 871542. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
