Using artificial intelligence for sewer inspections allows for the analysis of images of a network and helps to identify sections that require attention. In chapter 47 of “Toque de Ingenio,” Lucas León explains how INLOC Robotics transforms recordings of pipes into useful information for maintenance. This conversation demonstrates an industrial application of AI, whose value lies in facilitating decisions regarding a large, difficult-to-see, and challenging-to-inspect infrastructure.
Guest: Lucas León, co-founder of INLOC Robotics.
Interview published: April 22, 2025. Episode: 47. Duration: 55 min.
In this episode:
- What information does an asset management company need to know about the condition of its sewer network?
- How video analysis helps to focus human review on key incidents.
- Introducing technology into a traditionally conservative sector requires a pilot program, trust, and a deep understanding of the customer.
The interview stems from a system that many people only become aware of when a problem arises. Lucas describes networks consisting of sections from various periods, sizes, and characteristics. Maintaining these networks requires understanding what’s happening beneath the streets and organizing repairs while ensuring the service remains continuous. The article reflects the situation and experiences described in April 2025.
An unseen infrastructure that needs to be understood from the inside.
Lucas explains that the sewage system collects and directs wastewater to its treatment. Beneath a city, there are numerous elements and geometries, ranging from small pipes to larger collectors and galleries. This diversity influences how access to the network is gained and how it is inspected.
Maintenance involves a variety of tasks. Simply inspecting visible elements, removing obstructions, and assessing the internal condition are not equivalent operations. Knowing the age of a section is helpful for planning, but the discussion highlights that observing its actual condition provides information that cannot be replaced by an estimate.
Continuity is one of the reasons why the problem matters. As Lucas recalls:
“The service cannot stop”.
Lucas León 27:19.
This episode uses examples of incidents to illustrate the consequences of acting too late. Its relevance to engineering lies in moving from a partially understood infrastructure to a database that allows for prioritizing work. An inspection provides value when its results reach those who are responsible for making decisions.
Cameras and robots generate information that then needs to be analyzed.
The method of inspection depends on the available space and the environmental conditions. Lucas mentions people, robots, and drones in various situations. The choice of equipment depends on accessibility and the characteristics of the section being inspected, as well as the type of data that is desired.
Introducing a camera into the network only addresses a portion of the process. Following this, the video needs to be reviewed, with the content identified and transformed into a clear and understandable report. When a significant amount of recording time accumulates, this work can become a considerable burden for professionals.
The conversation highlights the specific challenges of underground environments, such as the lack of usual positioning signals. It also reminds us that obtaining images requires specialized equipment and trained personnel. Automating the analysis does not eliminate the physical conditions necessary to obtain a useful inspection.
This separation helps to understand the scope of INLOC Robotics. Simply the name of a company or the presence of robots within a process doesn’t explain what they sell. In this case, Lucas focuses the commercial aspect on the information extracted from the inspections.
What does the INLOC Robotics software do?
When describing the company’s main activity, Lucas expresses it clearly:
“The main product is software”.
Lucas León 31:24.
That software assists in the process of analyzing and documenting the state of the network. Examples presented in the interview include cracks, deposits, and displaced joints. The information should be organized in a way that allows observed issues to be linked to a specific section of the network, and with the evaluation criteria being used.
The system’s focus isn’t simply on identifying eye-catching images. Lucas explains how the analysis can contribute to a broader understanding, with segments categorized by their condition. This representation makes it easier to identify where closer inspection is needed, and where relevant problems have not been detected.
The application thus connects video, classification, and asset management. For those who design solutions engineering and automation, The case highlights the importance of considering the final decision. Any technical data presented should be done in a way that allows another person to incorporate it into their work.
Focusing human attention where it provides the most value.
Lucas clarifies the scope of automation during the conversation. He presents the software not as a system that independently decides on the entire budget and all the works for a network, but rather as a tool to reduce the workload for review and provide information, enabling those responsible to act with a better understanding.
This distinction is important in the adoption of industrial AI. A tool can be useful without taking over the entire process. Identifying which part of the work is repetitive and which part requires judgment allows us to define a clear role for the system and for those who use its results.
This episode highlights the importance of a professional not dedicating the same level of attention to every video at all times. The review process can then focus on the specific points that require interpretation or action. This also changes the way the proposal is explained to the client: the benefit is linked to their workflow.
From the field of user interface design, a specific question arises: what does each profile need to see in order to trust the information and use it. A solution UX/UI It’s important to make the relationship between the original image, the incident, and its location clear. The usefulness of AI also depends on this clarity.
Selling innovation in a sector that demands stability.
The interview explores the skepticism that artificial intelligence can provoke. Lucas explains that mentioning the technology sparks conversations, but also raises doubts. Some people fear changes to their jobs, while others need to verify the quality and responsibility associated with the process.
The pilots help transform those general doubts into a concrete evaluation. The managing company can examine results related to its own network and assess how they are integrated into its practices. However, the technical acceptance and the purchasing decision may be made by different people.
INLOC Robotics works with various types of clients or participants: companies carrying out inspections, water management firms, and engineering companies preparing projects. Each of these parties derives value from a specific stage of the process. Understanding who benefits and who commissions is essential for effective sales strategy.
When discussing international expansion, Lucas emphasizes the importance of partners who already know the local businesses and their systems. Access to the market depends on relationships, language, and established processes. The software’s capabilities need to be accompanied by a viable way to implement it and maintain a relationship with the client.
What can another development team learn?
- Identify the operational decision that would benefit most from data, before deciding how to automate its analysis.
- Distinguishing the acquisition of images, the interpretation thereof, and the planning of actions.
- Design the tool so that professionals can review and use their results in context.
- Validate the proposal through pilot programs and with all the profiles involved in the hiring and use process.
The INLOC Robotics case demonstrates an opportunity for innovation in a routine, yet often overlooked, task. Technology becomes valuable when it helps to maintain and preserve infrastructure and to improve the management of those responsible for it. For companies developing equipment, inspection systems, or automation tools, i-mas can assist in defining requirements and connecting technical aspects with their industrial application. Tell us about the process you want to improve..
To continue reading: Automation of picking in warehouses using Illumo Robotics.
Source of article: Edgar Guerrero’s interview with Lucas León on Toque de Ingenio, published on 22 April 2025. The quotations link to their corresponding passages in the video; the takeaways are an editorial summary of the conversation.
