robotics

Rapid development of more-accurate simulator engines has given researchers the opportunity to generate sufficient data to train robotic policies for real-world deployment. However, moving from simulation to reality remains one of the greatest challenges of modern robotics.

Gecko Robotics is providing the energy industry with artificial-intelligence-enabled robots to inspect infrastructure and supply massive amounts of data to help predict failures before they occur.

Aker BP showcased the Spot robot recently. Spot will be part of the company's initiative that will explore how robotics systems can be used to make offshore operations safer.

As companies look to reduce the time it takes to inspect a subsea pipeline, as well as the costs involved in the operation, autonomous systems have become a more desirable option. How close are they to becoming the norm?

Subsea advancements in the works include longer tiebacks, an underwater drone that lives on the seafloor, and a robotic manifold capable of actuating dozens of valves. Do these new capabilities, born of necessity, signal a sea change in industrywide technology development?

The criticality of above-water riser hull piping requires frequent inspections. Traditional manual inspection methods present safety and efficiency concerns, but work is being done to see if robotic technologies—such as drones and crawlers—can do the job as good as, or even better than, humans.

Advances in robotics can revolutionize the way maintenance, inspection, and testing is performed, making operations safer by reducing exposure of personnel to hazards. This paper analyzes the causes of slow industry adoption of robotic technologies and presents a roadmap for accelerated adoption.

Robots may not be ready to take over the world just yet, but they are making great strides in the offshore industry. A technical session at this year’s Offshore Technology Conference presented some of the advances, including untethered ROVs and subsea broadband communications.

Robots have been a part of industrial production for decades, but the interface between humans and robots has changed as automation technologies increased in complexity, scope, and scale. Once a novelty, collaborative robots are projected to become a significant element of the automation landscape.

The need to optimize tank turnaround schedules is as great as it has ever been within the midstream sector, but traditional human-based tank inspections often cut into uptime while introducing safety risks. New robotic applications aim to alleviate these issues.