On April 21, 2025, the 26th IE expo China opened at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, gathering top environmental protection companies, experts, and industry leaders. SROD ROBOTICS, a national "little giant" enterprise with over a decade of experience in the special robot industry, showcased its latest dredging robots, pipeline inspection robots, and municipal sewage intelligent inspection solutions at booth W5-E52. The professional team introduced the company's leading robot products in municipal environmental protection, covering functional characteristics and actual application scenarios. Loyal users also provided feedback and shared experiences. The dredging robot D800A offers powerful and efficient dredging capabilities in complex environments, while the pipe inspection robot S190DHD accurately detects pipeline issues. The amphibious robot S450 demonstrates strong adaptability, and the power sonar robot employs advanced sonar technology.

On April 23, the 28th China International Trenchless Technology Conference and Exhibition kicked off at the Suzhou International Expo Center. With an exhibition area of 20,000 square meters, it attracted over 120 companies. SROD Robotics showcased a range of municipal, environmentally - friendly, and efficient pipe inspection and rehabilitation equipment and solutions. Its pipe inspection robot S190DHD, equipped with a high - definition camera and AI - powered defect analysis system, can conduct comprehensive inspections of DN200 - 800mm pipes. The long - distance pipe inspection robot S400 demonstrated remarkable performance in complex pipe environments. Other highlights included the pipeline periscope E25CHDW, Turbo pipe - cutting robot, and high - pressure rinse endoscope T80. SROD Robotics also presented its trenchless UV -uring C rehabilitation technology, which restores pipe functionality without excavation. During the exhibition, SROD Robotics' staff provided detailed explanations and demonstrations, drawing significant visitor interest. This exhibition served as a key platform for SROD Robotics to communicate with industry peers and display its strength. Moving forward, Schroeder Industrial Group will persist in technological innovation and R&D investment to launch more advanced products and solutions for urban pipe network construction and environmental protection.

Pipeline inspection robots are essential in maintaining and inspecting pipe systems across industries like oil & gas, utilities, and manufacturing. They navigate pipelines, detect defects, assess structural integrity, and provide data for maintenance planning. As technology evolves, these robots become more sophisticated and offer enhanced capabilities. The global market for pipeline inspection robots is growing remarkably, from USD 915 million in 2024 to an estimated USD 2.44 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 15.3% from 2025 to 2031. North America currently leads, but the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow fastest from 2024 to 2032. These robots are equipped with advanced sensors, HD cameras, and software algorithms for accurate inspection results. Key applications include inspecting oil & gas pipelines, detecting leaks in water supply systems, and maintaining pipelines in industrial manufacturing. Leading companies in this market include IBAK Helmut Hunger, SROD ROBOTICS, CUES Inc, and Waygate Technologies Robotics (WTR). The future of pipeline inspection robots looks promising, with continuous technological advancements and expanding applications. They play a crucial role in modern pipeline maintenance, transforming pipeline system management and maintenance.

In April 2025, Shenzhen Nanshan Sewage Treatment Plant encountered a severe sludge accumulation issue in its sedimentation tank, with the sludge layer exceeding 1 m in thickness. This significantly reduced the tank's effective volume, leading to a sharp decline in sewage treatment efficiency. The piled - up sludge also posed potential environmental and health risks by emitting bad smells and breeding harmful bacteria. Traditional manual cleaning methods were infeasible due to the inability to dewater the tank. To address this challenge, the water company opted for the D800A sludge - cleaning robot solution from SROD ROBOTICS. The D800A robot is specifically designed for confined space desilting operations. It can access areas with a DN800 diameter, featuring flexible mobility and strong sludge - suction capability. It can perform desilting tasks without halting plant operations, making it suitable for various environments such as municipal pipelines, box culverts, dark channels, sewage treatment plants, and gas field water pools. In the sludge - cleaning operation at Shenzhen Sewage Treatment Plant, the D800A robot demonstrated remarkable performance. Equipped with a high - power sludge - suction pump and hydraulically driven, it achieved a sludge - cleaning efficiency of up to 200 cubic meters per hour. Its pump's rotating head can be converted into a spiral cutting head or plastic brush to grind tough sediments into debris, which is then sucked in by the high - power dredge pump. The robot moves freely in the pool in a mobile cleaning mode, ensuring thorough dredging without missing any corners. Its compact structure and high - brightness LED light source and high - definition PTZ camera system allow staff to control it easily and safely from a remote location. As sludge -cleaning progressed, the excavated sludge underwent immediate sludge - water separation, yielding visible treatment results.

The article delves into the robotics industry's development trends, underscoring the advantages of non - humanoid robots in practical applications. Core viewpoints are as follows: Humanoid robots have multiple limitations. Firstly, they are expensive, like Boston Dynamics' Atlas and Figure02, which cost over $2 million each, and Tesla's Optimus has uncertain mass production prospects. Secondly, they encounter technical challenges. Bipedal walking demands complex electromechanical systems, and dexterous hand operation relies on high - precision sensors, both of which hike R&D and maintenance costs. Thirdly, their efficiency is low. Their walking speed is less than one - third of humans', with limited battery life and touch sensitivity only one - thousandth that of biological skin. Non - humanoid robots have significant strengths. Robot design should center on functionality. In municipal drainage network maintenance, non - humanoid robots such as pipeline inspection robots, drones, and snake - like robots are more efficient. They are also more efficient in industrial settings, like multi - axis robotic arms for precise assembly tasks and AGV carts for round - the - clock goods transportation. Looking ahead, the robot society will likely have a "pyramid" structure. The base (40% - 60%) will consist of dedicated robots for efficiency - focused tasks, such as robotic arms and drones. The middle (20% - 30%) will be modular robots for various tasks, like pipeline robots. The top (10% - 20%) will be humanoid robots for emotional interaction and complex decision - making. In conclusion, the robotics industry shouldn't blindly pursue human - like forms but focus on problem - solving, designing robots where form serves function. Non - humanoid robots are key drivers of industrial manufacturing upgrades due to their efficiency and cost - effectiveness in specific scenarios. The future of robotics lies in meeting current needs.

Recently, the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Innovation Institute of Shenzhen Institute for Advanced Study, UESTC was officially unveiled. The event attracted numerous distinguished guests from governmental, academic, and industrial sectors, including officials from Shenzhen's Longhua District and the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Bureau, as well as representatives from well-known enterprises like Huawei and Foxconn. The institute aims to focus on cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence and robotics, conduct high-level studies, produce original results, and cultivate top-tier innovative talents. It is expected to contribute significantly to the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Science and Technology Innovation Center and the development of the national artificial intelligence industry. During the event, the institute signed industry-university-research cooperation agreements with 14 enterprises, including SROD ROBOTICS, to promote the integration of research findings with industrial applications. Longhua District is actively developing its artificial intelligence and robotics industries, aiming to become a key hub for these sectors. The district is accelerating the introduction and cultivation of high-level talents and the layout of industrial clusters such as smart terminals and industrial robots. The establishment of the institute is in response to the national innovation-driven development strategy. It seeks to create an innovation highland in artificial intelligence and robotics that is "based in the Bay Area and radiates globally," contributing to the strategic needs and industrial upgrading of artificial intelligence and robotics in the country and the Greater Bay Area.