Autonomous inspection of water-filled tunnels

SIGNING: Jone Sæbbø and Jarle Bjermeland from Sassas AS sign the investment with Anne Cathrin Østebø, CEO at Validé and Johannes Løyning, Investment Director at Validé. (Photo: Hilde Garlid)



SASSAS is the abbreviation for Scandinavian Autonomous Survey Solutions AS. The company conducts autonomous inspection of water-filled tunnels.

When pipes are to be inspected for defects and damage in power plants today, the power companies have to stop production. They use an ROV that has to be lifted into the pipes with cranes, and it drags a cable behind it into the tunnel. If this stops, personnel are needed, inside the pipes, to fix it.

All this is time-consuming and expensive for the power companies, who have to stop production over time, and preferably empty the pipes of water.

Sassas' solution is to inspect water pipes with an AUV specially adapted for tunnel inspection while there is water in the pipes. The AUV is 2 meters long and weighs 35 kilograms, and can easily be carried by two people. It is equipped with sensors for tunnel inspection and it is manoeuvrable.

The founder is Jarle Bjermeland, who has a background in aviation. Team member is Fredrik Fjellså and Jone Sæbbø.

Supported by Validé:
• Incubator company
• Business developer: Jon Trygve Kjerstad
• Participant in ITSA Growth 2021/2022
• Investment by Validé AS