Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
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www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | JULY 2016 | 17 In the know Researchers at the University of Sheffield have created an aquatic robot which could be used to inspect otherwise inaccessible pipe networks to deal with blockages. The study looked at a set of robotic modules that, similar to Lego, can be assembled into robots of arbitrary shape. This allows RESEARCH ROUND UP Aquatic robot could enter pipe networks robots to be customised to meet the changing demands of their task. Each module is a cube and has four micro pumps which allow it to move around independently in the water. When modules are joined together, they can draw in fluid from each other, as well as the environment. The routing RISING UP ● 18 Innovation Zone: Waterblade ● 21 Research Notes: Water quality testing ● 25 Products: Communications and control ● 27 The Pipe File: WWT's guide to pipes The robotic modules (right) can be customised for their task S e l w o o d P u m p & P l an t H i r e & S a l e s 1 9 4 6 - 2 0 1 6 Clean & wastewater pumping Selwood is the UK's leading supplier of high quality contractors pumps for rental and sale. Our range of pumps, specifically designed for sewage, sludge, wastewater and clean water applications, are built to cope with arduous conditions and offers maximum performance and reliability. Our rental fleet has one of the largest selections of diesel surface pumps and hydraulic, electric and explosion-proof submersible pumps in the UK. This is backed by some of the most qualified and experienced staff in the industry and a commitment to outstanding customer service. Call us today to find out how we can help with your pumping requirements. 023 8026 6311 www.selwood.co.uk @selwoodgroup SELWOOD Pump Rental, Sales & Service of the fluid through the network of modules causes the robot to move. The more modules in the network, the more precisely the robot moves, and the better it copes with faults. This new concept is termed Modular Hydraulic Propulsion (MHP). Six prototype modules of an MHP robot were constructed, which float on the surface of water. The researchers set the robot a task – to detect and move towards a light source. The robots can solve this task reliably without having a central brain. Rather, each module makes its own decisions independently, and only needs a single byte of sensor information to do so. The research was led by Dr Roderich Gross of the Dept. of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering. Thames Water has announced that Truphone chief executive Steve Robertson will replace Martin Baggs as chief executive in early September 2016. Bristol Water's chief executive Luis Garcia will step down a er seven years at the company to re-join Suez Group. North Midland Construction (NM Group) has announced the appointment of John Homer as its new chief executive. He was previously MD at Morgan Sindall. Scottish water supplier Business Stream has named Jo Mayes as its customer operations director. Bryan Hill has been appointed as Authorising Engineer (Water) at the Water Hygiene Centre. Hill will advise clients in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England.