Japan’s sewer pipes may soon be crawling with spider-like inspection robots

A Japanese robotics start-up has developed spider-like robots to inspect and maintain the country’s sewer pipes as the country grapples with a labour shortage in the industry. Tmsuk created the SPD1 with eight legs resembling a spider, enabling it to crawl across sediments commonly found in sewer pipes. Tmsuk plans to put the robot on the market after April 2024.