China's underground pipelines are about to get smarter and safer. The country plans to build or upgrade more than 700,000 kilometers of pipelines over the next five years. Keeping them in check is difficult work, so cities are turning to robots.

In Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, inspection robots patrol buried gas pipelines daily. They detect temperature changes, gas leaks and other problems without sending a single worker underground. When finished, they self-recharge.

In Shiyan, central China's Hubei Province, robots inspect sewage pipes for cracks and leaks, eliminating dust and safety hazards.

No hard hats. No cramped tunnels. Just robots handling the work humans once dreaded.