A Robust Localization System for Inspection Robots in Sewer Networks †

Sewers represent a very important infrastructure of cities whose state should be monitored periodically. However, the length of such infrastructure prevents sensor networks from being applicable. In this paper, we present a mobile platform (SIAR) designed to inspect the sewer network. It is capable of sensing gas concentrations and detecting failures in the network such as cracks and holes in the floor and walls or zones were the water is not flowing. These alarms should be precisely geo-localized to allow the operators performing the required correcting measures. To this end, this paper presents a robust localization system for global pose estimation on sewers. It makes use of prior information of the sewer network, including its topology, the different cross sections traversed and the position of some elements such as manholes. The system is based on a Monte Carlo Localization system that fuses wheel and RGB-D odometry for the prediction stage. The update step takes into account the sewer network topology for discarding wrong hypotheses. Additionally, the localization is further refined with novel updating steps proposed in this paper which are activated whenever a discrete element in the sewer network is detected or the relative orientation of the robot over the sewer gallery could be estimated. Each part of the system has been validated with real data obtained from the sewers of Barcelona. The whole system is able to obtain median localization errors in the order of one meter in all cases. Finally, the paper also includes comparisons with state-of-the-art Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) systems that demonstrate the convenience of the approach.Unión Europea ECHORD ++ 601116Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades de España RTI2018-100847-B-C2

Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures for IDDE and Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping

In April 2003, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s). A total of 45 New Hampshire communities (six fully regulated and 39 partially regulated) became subject to Stormwater Phase II regulations based on their designation as Urbanized Areas according to the 2000 US Census

Innovative Stormwater Treatment Technologies: Best Management Practices Manual

Urban stormwater carries a number of pathogens, nutrients, heavy metals, sediment, and other contaminants as surface runoff flows over land. The increase in impervious or paved surfaces associated with development in urban areas reduces the natural infiltration of precipitation into the ground. With impervious cover, precipitation collects and carries contaminants before draining into nearby surface waters. Stormwater runoff from paved surfaces in developed areas can degrade downstream waters with both contaminants and increased volumes of water. This publication aims to make information on innovative stormwater treatment technologies more available to New Hampshire’s urban planners, developers, and communities. Traditional runoff management techniques such as detention basins and infiltration swales may be preferable, but are not always practical for treating urban stormwater. Lack of space for natural solutions is often a problem in existing developed areas, making innovative treatment technologies an attractive alternative. Mostly designed for subsurface installation, urban “retrofits” use less space than conventional methods to treat stormwater. This manual provides information on the innovative stormwater “retrofit” technologies currently available for use in developed areas in New Hampshire

Sewer System Evaluation Surveys Conducted in Industrial Plants

Sewer System Evaluation Surveys Conducted in Industrial Sewers, describes the methods employed and the results of Sewer System Evaluation Survey studies conducted at two industrial complexes. The procedural techniques for locating and quantifying infiltration and inflow into sewer systems represented to provide a basic understanding of the steps required to complete such studies. Case studies of actual surveys conducted at two privately operated industrial plants in Tennessee are presented to illustrate the utilization of the investigative techniques. The results of the studies are compared with each other and with similar studies conducted in municipal sewer systems

ANALYSIS OF AN RGBD CAMERA FOR MANHOLE INSPECTION

As the service life of ducts and manholes reaches their end, there is a growing need to preserve the structures. In order to prevent casualties and service interruption, more frequent inspections are advised. To this day most of the inspections are still, manually made. These inspectors need to be highly qualified, and the inspections are done in an hazardous environment so, automating the inspection process would lead to a healthier workplace. Given the recent development in RGBD cameras, with smaller size factor, cost, and weight, this project aims to evaluate the application of one of the more recent models in a manhole inspection environment. Several analysis are done to assess the RGBD sensor performance for 3D model reconstruction, including the comparison with a ground-truth 3D model obtained using a laser point profile sensor with an industrial robot

Ronald L. Ingram v. Salt Lake City, a municipal corporation : Brief of Respondent

Appeal from the Decision the Third judicial District Court, Salt Lake County, State of Utah, Honorable Homer F. Wilkinson, Presiding, Granting Summary Judgment in Favor of Defendant Salt Lake Cit