Tests of a modular snake robot in an Austrian nuclear power plant proved the multi-jointed, camera-headed robot can crawl through a variety of steam pipes and connecting vessels, suggesting it could be a valuable inspection tool, report researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute.

The snake robot was able to maneuver through multiple bends, slip through open valves and negotiate vessels with multiple openings. With a videocamera and LED light on its head, the snake was able to peer into holes and to get multiple views of items of interest inside the pipes.