FAQ · 16 QUESTIONS
Answer what we will not do first
These questions are the ones reviewers, site owners and engineers most often misread. Answers share the same fact base as the evidence and specification pages. Chinese FAQ: faq.html.
Is PipeGuardian a production product?
No. The programme is in prototype development / pre-validation. Product imagery is a concept model, not a production photograph, and does not represent completed field validation.
Do you already have customers and inspection mileage?
There is no auditable customer list or mileage. Demo figures from a handover pack — 42 customers, 12,800 km, 99.97% availability — are excluded from all materials.
Is ≥600 mm a measured minimum diameter?
No. It is the MVP target diameter, pending rig and access tests. Until G1/G2, write it only as a target.
Can it enter pressurised gas pipes?
Not in the first build. Pressurised gas, explosive atmospheres, submerged pipes and unrecoverable production lines are excluded. Explosion protection is a separate gate; CE or styling is not Ex certification.
How does this relate to CCTV crawlers?
Complement, do not replace. Crawlers are mature on long wet pipes and standard reports. Collision-tolerant flight is aimed at obstacles, shaft transitions and three-dimensional reconnaissance.
How does this differ from tethered UAVs?
ScoutDI-class tethered platforms bind power, data and recovery to a cable, which is honest for long looks. PipeGuardian’s primary path is collision-tolerant flight, with tether/wire as a weak-link backup. No full underground mesh is promised.
Can thermal imaging stand in for methane detection?
No. Thermal validates temperature contrast; gas sensors validate the target species. They may cue each other; they do not replace each other.
Is the PG-X fire payload usable now?
No. PG-X is a pre-research interface. Independent tests, certification and site approval are required. Until then we show the interface only.
What are G0–G6?
Evidence gates from real bounded jobs, repairable structure, in-pipe stability, traceable data, honest models, process value, then manufacturability/compliance. The 18-month plan aims at G5. Ungated performance cannot be written in the present tense.
What happens in Hong Kong versus Shenzhen?
Hong Kong: research evidence, trials, university/science-park interfaces. Shenzhen: prototypes, supply chain, engineering. People, cost and IP must be separable. This is an operating model, not an award announcement.
Have you already received PSTS or TSSSU?
This site does not claim awards. The funding pages summarise published programme ceilings and eligibility logic for work-package design.
Is the RMB 20 million valuation a traded price?
No. It is a milestone-conditioned recommendation — a commercial assumption — not an implied revenue multiple.
Does listing standards mean you are certified?
No. Pages map possibly applicable GB codes and Hong Kong confined-space practice. Mapping is not certification. Site owners and qualified persons decide applicability.
Who owns pilot data?
Ownership should be written into the mission card; site owners typically control raw field data. This website does not collect forms. Any training use of field data needs a separate licence.
How do we collaborate or hire?
See the Chinese partners and careers pages for collaboration types and capability gaps. Public email is pending founder confirmation. No fake headcount, no unlicensed logos.
How do English and Chinese sites relate?
Chinese is primary and hosts the full documentation set. English covers home, system, evidence, team, funding and FAQ for international reviewers. Claim rules are the same in both languages.