Smart “PIGs” in Pipes (HS)
In these lessons, students will learn about smart “PIGs” in pipes and their working principles. After these lessons, students are expected to have basic knowledge on pipes used in water and wastewater transportation and smart PIGs for pipe inspection. Problems being studied include but not limited to 1) pipe damages may be generated by different conditions; 2) different types of pipe damages; 3) how a simple smart pig works; 4) how to construct a “camera” based smart pig using provided DIY robot pieces; and 5) how to use the images obtained from the robot camera to develop a maintenance plan of pipes by analyzing the images.
objectives
• Students will understand how pipes work for transporting water and waste water.
• Students will describe typical damages pipes suffer under practical use conditions.
• Students will demonstrate how to build and operate a smart PIG using DIY robot and camera to
document pipe damage.
• Students will develop a pipe maintenance plan.
Topic(s)
Pipe inspection, robotic technology, Smart PIGs
type
High school lesson
9-12
Grade(s):
time needed
Four 50-minute class periods
author
Ying Huang, Brittany Hagen
national next gen standards
• HS-ETS1-2 Engineering Design: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down
into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
• HS-ETS1-3 Engineering Design: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
north dakota standards
• HS-ETS1-2 Engineering Design: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down
into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
• HS-ETS1-3 Engineering Design: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.