The tools used for the In-Line Inspection of pipelines have changed dramatically in the last few years. These changes have not resulted from fundamental changes in the inspection technologies but rather from the evolution in data processing and storage systems. We can expect that this technological evolution will continue and will pave the way to even more advanced inspection equipment. This paper stresses the cooperative relationships being developed between the pipeline industry and the inspection community and shows how this cooperation is leading to successful research programs. Several of these programs are reviewed and speculations are made on sure development.
Keywords: In-Line Inspection, mechanical damage, magnetic flux leakage