Real-time monitoring of underground infrastructure assets – manhole covers and cable wells
R&D PROJECT
SmartHatch is an IoT solution for continuous monitoring of manhole cover positions and technical shaft conditions. It gives utility operators real-time visibility over every covered asset in their estate and immediate alerts when something goes wrong.
CHALLENGE
Organizations managing underground infrastructure have no reliable way to know the status of their shafts between physical inspections. Still, a displaced manhole cover, a flooded shaft, or a change in environmental conditions inside a cable well may bring real negative consequences.
An unclosed shaft is an immediate hazard for drivers and pedestrians. Flooding or temperature changes inside a shaft can damage cables and stored equipment before anyone becomes aware of the problem. Besides, vandalism or theft of any asset goes undetected until the damage is already done.
SOLUTION
Together with our hardware partners, we built SmartHatch, an IoT platform that gave utility operators a network-wide picture of every manhole. Its device is installed below the well neck, so it detects manhole cover position without having physical contact with it.
Each SmartHatch device can be extended with additional sensors for motion, flood detection, and various environmental conditions, depending on what the shaft requires. The IP65-rated housing operates across -40°C to +70°C, and low power consumption keeps the sensor running on battery between servicemen visits with no interruption.
All sensor data is streamed to the cloud-based monitoring platform, where remote operators access a dashboard with the real-time location and status of every connected unit across the network. A sensor triggers when a cover is opened, motion is detected, water enters the shaft, and the platform immediately pinpoints the incident on the map and pushes an alert to the operator via the monitoring center interface, SMS, or email. For critical events, notifications can be routed directly to emergency services or law enforcement based on pre-configured parameters. The platform accumulates data for reporting and trend analysis.
CONTACT US
Want to know how we can help you?
Give us a call or send us a message and we’ll get back to you.
