Deep beneath our city streets, there’s a vast network that carries everything from storm water to sewage through an interconnected mass of pipes. In Sydney alone, there are 27,000km of pipe, which is enough to stretch two-thirds of the way around the globe. This underground system, critical to the city’s function and environmental health, is constantly evolving, yet maintaining it poses a significant challenge to local councils. Identifying the exact location, type, and severity of pipe defects within such a vast and variable system is no easy task.
TDG Environmental, a leading provider of infrastructure maintenance services, tackles this challenge through advanced CCTV inspections. Using robotic crawlers to capture video footage from inside pipes, TDG gathers crucial data on the condition of the network. However, reviewing and interpreting these hours of footage requires careful attention, specialist knowledge, and considerable time.
To streamline this process, TDG deployed UtilityTrack, a robust software platform that enables clients to analyse, manage, and share stormwater and sewer data. As part of an innovation initiative, the company also began trialling an AI tool to automate parts of the CCTV review process. This was used to identify defects and prioritise repairs faster and more consistently.
As the use of AI is relatively new in this type of work, auticon was tasked with reviewing the effective use of AI in this application. The project was intensely detail-heavy, and required long periods of significant focus to achieve the required outcome, a task ideally suited to auticon’s team of autistic technologists.
“The project had the potential to really help with TDGs backlog of assessment work and provide a clear picture of the immediate priorities both for them and for the council,” said auticon Technologist Mieko Giesemann.
“This, in turn, would expedite the approval of pipe maintenance work and increase the turnaround time of maintenance for residents. It was a great opportunity to make a difference for people in the area.”
Working closely with TDG Operations Supervisor Jeff Lara, Meiko led several critical initiatives, including a 100-kilometre CCTV data package for a local council. She managed the entire data workflow, which included downloading internal files, uploading them to the AI platform, validating automated outputs, and publishing final reports.
“Meiko’s attention to detail was outstanding,” said Jeff. “Her work improved our data accuracy, streamlined our project pipeline, and helped us deliver better outcomes for our customers. She managed complex technical processes independently and effectively, which is a real credit to her skills and professionalism.
“Her work ensured that the data we rely on was not only accurate but also presented in a way that supported better decision-making, faster repair turnarounds, and added value for both TDG and our clients.”
auticon Australia and New Zealand CEO Mr Bodo Mann was pleased with the outcomes of the project and spoke about the impact of the work.
“This project is a powerful example of how neurodiverse professionals can drive innovation and deliver real-world impact. At auticon, we don’t see autism as a barrier, we see it as a competitive advantage.
“Meiko’s work with TDG Environmental highlights how focused thinking and attention to detail can transform infrastructure challenges into smart, scalable solutions,” concluded Mann.
