On Thursday, 16 April 2026, Bendabl (BBL), a core partner of the TUBERS project, took part in Future Ready 2026 in Brussels, ADRA’s flagship event dedicated to AI, data and robotics innovation. The event brought together researchers, innovators, industry leaders and policymakers to showcase project results, build synergies and explore pathways for further development and commercialization.
BBL’s participation was an important opportunity to position TUBERS within the wider European robotics and innovation ecosystem, while highlighting the project’s contribution to smarter, more sustainable infrastructure maintenance. As the leader of the TUBERS soft robotic system development, BBL brought to Brussels the project’s growing expertise in bio-inspired in-pipe robotics for inspection and repair.
TUBERS is developing a new ecosystem of robotic tools for drinking water pipeline inspection and repair, combining robotics, ultrasonic inspection and AI-supported decision-making. Within this vision, BBL has played a central role in advancing the project’s soft robotic platform, which has already delivered strong progress in locomotion, suction, repair mechanisms, control architecture and in-house testing. Project results to date show that the soft robot has successfully progressed through multiple design iterations, with two full prototypes assembled and tested, and with demonstrated navigation, suction and in-pipe repair capabilities in realistic pipeline scenarios.
Future Ready 2026 came at a timely moment for TUBERS. The project is currently sharpening its focus on the components with the strongest technical maturity and exploitation potential. Following the consortium’s strategic realignment in January 2026, the project decided to move away from further hardware development of the snake-like robot and instead prioritize integration of the UT module with BBL’s soft robot. This shift was made to secure a viable final demonstration and maximize impact, while also opening additional post-project exploitation routes thanks to the soft robot’s ability to navigate challenging pipe geometries, including vertical sections.
For TUBERS, several key takeaways emerged from BBL’s participation in Brussels.
First, Europe is actively looking for innovation pathways that connect robotics research with real industrial needs. This aligns strongly with TUBERS’ current direction: focusing on practical value for water utilities, asset integrity management and scalable deployment rather than pursuing complexity for its own sake. The project’s recent review and follow-up strategy have reinforced that priority.
Second, soft robotics is proving to be one of TUBERS’ most promising assets. BBL’s work shows that flexible, modular robotic systems can offer a realistic route toward inspection and localized intervention inside pipes, especially where conventional access is difficult or disruptive. The soft robot is now not only a repair platform, but also a key enabler for integration with inspection technologies such as the ultrasonic module.
Third, commercial readiness depends on phased deployment. TUBERS’ evolving business planning points toward a realistic path to market: beginning with minimum viable inspection services and progressively integrating more advanced functions such as NDT, AI and robotic repair as their maturity increases. This staged approach reflects the type of exploitation thinking that events like Future Ready are designed to encourage.
Finally, collaboration remains essential. Events like Future Ready are valuable because they create space for projects like TUBERS to exchange lessons, build visibility and connect with stakeholders beyond the consortium. For BBL, this participation helped reinforce TUBERS’ place in the European discussion on how AI, data and robotics can support resilient, sustainable infrastructure.
As TUBERS enters its final phase, BBL’s presence at Future Ready 2026 underlined a clear message: the future of pipeline inspection and repair will depend on solutions that are not only innovative, but also usable, scalable and aligned with real operational challenges. With its soft robotics expertise and its growing role in the project’s integration strategy, BBL continues to help shape that future.