Telesto

Description

In 2020 Telesto won the Utility Pipeline Technology Award from the Pipeline Industry Guild, and an Innovation Award from the Institute of Water. This was due to its ability to produce 3D maps of wastewater networks in semi-turbulent flow conditions, which can reduce the need for person-entry inspection of such infrastructure, and provides enhanced information when compared with CCTV surveys.

As a result, Telesto provides a major health and safety benefit to contractors and infrastructure owners, in addition to cost savings when conducting underground surveys of large diameter pipes (>900mm). It also provides quantitative, objective information that can be used to assess the condition of an asset, or provide valuable information that can be used to inform the design of lining or other remediation works.

Furthermore, if construction is due to take place above or near wastewater infrastructure then Telesto can be used to determine the geolocation of the asset and its depth (line and level). This information can be used to inform project decisions quicker and safer than with traditional methods, whilst still providing assurance on the accuracy of the information.

Telesto consists of hardware and software.

The hardware includes:

1. Lidar Module 1 (LM1), housing an optical laser system, a CPU and an IMU.
2. Camera Module (CM), housing 4 cameras (arranged for maximum coverage).
3. Battery Module (BM), a rechargeable battery unit that provides powers to the device.
4. Lidar Module 2 (LM2), identical to LM1 but used in a different orientation and required for optimal location information.

The software includes:

1. A Control Application (CA), accessed via a mobile device or computer, allows users to register and connect to the device and monitor the general health and status of the hardware components.
2. A form that allows the user(s) to enter project details and start data capture (after successful login to the Telesto™ CA).
3. A function that allows users to download the data to an external device and/or upload it to a cloud service for processing. Processed data can subsequently be accessed via the Data Platform (DP).