Russian Inspection Robots Scan Heat Pipelines Across the Country

In cities like Izhevsk and Tyumen, robots are now crawling through underground heating networks to detect weak spots before they turn into major infrastructure failures.

In the city of Izhevsk, capital of the Udmurt Republic, engineers from St. Petersburg deployed a robotic diagnostics system to inspect a critical section of the city’s heating pipeline. The robot traveled more than a kilometer through the underground infrastructure, measuring remaining wall thickness, metal integrity, and weld joint quality.

This robot-based inspection method reduces the need for manual labor and enables early detection of defects—minimizing the risk of emergencies and eliminating the need for disruptive excavation. It pinpoints areas requiring preventive maintenance, and the collected data helps authorities make informed decisions about full-scale network replacements.

The technology is already in widespread use across Russia. In one notable case, a similar robot helped identify and prevent a major utility accident in Tyumen before it occurred.