Transforming Sewer Inspections with AI
iTS Kanal Service AG (iTS) can look back on 40 years of success and, with over 750 employees and 25 branches, is one of the leading companies in the Swiss sewer industry. The steadily growing company is also active at several locations in Germany and Austria, enabling it to serve customers throughout the DACH region. The service portfolio ranges from sewer cleaning and inspection to sewer rehabilitation. The combination of many years of experience, technological expertise and strong regional roots enables iTS to offer high-quality services.
Partner for Digitalization
“At iTS, we want to ensure quality through expertise and technology,” says Laura Donadini, Head of Business Development at iTS Kanal Services AG, “which is why our aim is to always learn about and implement the best digital and technological solutions.”
In order not only to keep up with technology and digitalization, but to move forward, iTS relies on partners. This is where Pallon comes in. Originally a spin-off from ETH Zurich, the company and its team of environmental engineers, designers, computer scientists and data scientists provide software solutions for the maintenance of drainage structures.
With thousands of kilometers of image material, Pallon has trained algorithms that can fully automatically create condition codings from video recordings of sewers. Whereas previously a specialized inspection operator had to manually document his observations during the camera’s journey through the sewer, Pallon’s solution can create reports from the video material provided without any major post-processing effort.
Saving Time and Labor
The fully automated condition coding enables significant time savings, as complex documentation or post-processing is no longer necessary. This represents great potential for the sewer industry, which is plagued by an acute shortage of skilled workers. With the help of AI, more sewers can be inspected without additional personnel, new vehicles or special equipment. “This creates real added value,” says Pascal Zumbühl, Head Business Unit Mitte-Nord at iTS. The application was first used in his team and has since been continuously adapted to the needs of the inspection operators in close consultation with Pallon.
“The use of AI enables significant time savings in inspections and post-processing, so that we can efficiently manage more projects in the same or better quality. In addition, the technology ensures more homogeneous evaluations that are less dependent on individual assessment differences and thus offer added value for our customers.”
Win-Win for Users, Developers and Customers
“For us, partnerships like the one with iTS are very helpful in product development,” says Marko Markovic, [Business Development Manager] at Pallon. “Fast feedback and close contact with users helps us to continuously improve our solutions. This is a real win-win situation.”
The use of the AI solution can also create real added value for customers. Via the Pallon web application, for example, engineers gain access to precise and objective condition codings. In addition to detailed codings, this also includes a video player and automatic condition assessments in accordance with the latest VSA directive, which assesses the tightness, stability and operational safety of the sewers and manholes.
The improved data quality through the use of AI enables iTS to meet the steadily increasing demands on the data quality of inspection and condition data to the full satisfaction of its customers. This allows customers to check, adjust and confirm data before exporting it in various formats or implementing a GIS integration, for example. This process optimization saves engineers time and enables focused planning of measures.
iTS has now successfully inspected several thousand meters of pipelines with Pallon – and the trend is rising. The company plans to roll out the solution in further business units. In this way, the growing company can handle more projects and continuously improve the data quality of the condition reports. The customers are also happy about this.
“We want to continue working closely with Pallon to make our services faster and better,” Laura Donadini sums up. “We look forward to further developing the quality and efficiency of sewer inspections with Pallon!”