Game Changers awards feasibility funding for long and narrow pipework inspection

Game Changers has awarded funding to three new feasibility projects to address one of Sellafield’s most technically demanding inspection challenges: capturing live, high-definition (HD) video inside more than 40 metres of pipework with an internal diameter of just 20mm. The challenge attracted a significant number of applications, and the selected projects will conclude soon.  

Internal inspection of long, narrow, and debris-filled pipes is notoriously difficult due to tight bends, weld protrusions, corrosion, and limited visibility. Sellafield’s Sealines overflow drain line – inspected every 2 years and required to operate for the next 4 decades – exemplifies these challenges. The site is seeking solutions that could be deployed for the 2027 inspection, and welcomed proposals from all sectors.  

Chelsea Abbott-Osliff, Technical Advisor for Spent Fuel Management, said: “We’re now testing ideas that break away from traditional thinking; the concepts now in feasibility are unlike anything we’ve tried before. It’s exciting to see how these novel solutions could reshape how we tackle long pipe-related challenges.”  

Awarded Feasibility Projects

Self-Growing Snake Robot – University of Nottingham & Ice9 Robotics 

This project develops a hybrid robot combining a cable-driven “snake” head for precise orientation with a pneumatically actuated self-growing body that extends through pipework. The design offers flexible navigation, adaptability to changing diameters, and long-reach capability – making it well suited to complex, narrow pipe networks. 

Motorised Endoscope with Advanced Traction Control – UKAEA 

Building on two earlier prototypes, this concept integrates a HD endoscope into a miniature wheeled or tracked drive unit capable of manoeuvring within a 20mm bore. A motorised tether provides powered “push” assistance, while an advanced traction algorithm adjusts movement in real time, improving navigation of bends, welds, and debris without the need for bulky signal repeaters. 

Vine: A Soft Robotic Endoscope for Challenging Environments – UKAEA 

Vine uses a compliant polymer body that “grows” into the pipe under low-pressure gas, enabling smooth travel through variable diameters and past obstructions. The system includes built-in retraction, contamination containment, and a live HD camera. Previous trials demonstrate scalability toward the 40m requirement, with rapid design iteration supported by UKAEA’s specialist materials expertise. 

These feasibility studies mark a major step toward a deployable solution that could transform how Sellafield inspects hard-to-access pipework, supporting safer and more efficient management of vital infrastructure.