COVER STORY
“This means we can bring spares and fi x any issues as soon as possible, saving even more time.”
AN OFFSHORE JOURNEY In 2020, British oil company BP pledged to reach net-zero emissions by the year 2050 while simultaneously boosting employee safety and operational eff iciency. To achieve this, BP set out new ways to remove employees from potentially hazardous situations and environments. And although the company operates its facilities with a strong focus on safety, the work remains inherently risky. For example, since production sites are remote – in hard-to-reach locations such as the middle of the ocean – there is a risk in transporting employees back and forth.
STRATEGIC APPROACH TO DRIVING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION As highlighted by Adam Ballard, former facilities technology manager at BP, employing robots to inspect remote facilities is a strategic approach to driving digital transformation while enhancing employee safety on site. In this capacity, robots can undertake tasks traditionally carried out by personnel, including scanning for
risk environments. Pleased with Spot’s performance, the BP team trialled the robot at its Whiting refi nery in Chicago, where its performance improved with updates. This success gave the team the confi dence to deploy Spot off shore.
BP is likely to use robots like Spot for new applications in future
abnormalities, monitoring corrosion, and checking gauges. BP turned to Boston Dynamics and
tested Spot multiple times before deploying one robot off shore. The initial phase involved a proof of concept (POC) at the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) facility, replicating a typical production site. Tests included navigating various terrains and confi ned spaces to assess Spot’s mobility and autonomous capabilities. While initial trials revealed issues on grated stairs, Boston Dynamics quickly addressed these.
WORKING WITH VENDORS Collaborating with BP, Boston Dynamics also connected with vendors to customise sensor payloads, including a methane sensor for high-
ADVANCING SPOT’S PROGRAMMED CAPABILITIES Ballard explained that the company’s strategy involves advancing the programmed capabilities of Spot, and said this helped the team develop a practical understanding of the site. “It’s about imbuing Spot with that experiential knowledge,” he explained. “Spot should possess the ability to observe, listen, detect odours, and scan to assess the plant’s status. Once fully integrated into our facility, Spot will require analytical reasoning to diff erentiate between normal operations and anomalies. In the near future, we envision robots like Spot becoming mobile inspectors capable of providing comprehensive insights into a facility’s condition.”
For more information visit:
www.bostondynamics.com
Spot the robot: Changing how companies operate ACROSS THE POND
Boston Dynamics’ most notable robot is changing how companies monitor and operate their sites, as well as how they ensure the safety of their teams, and make data-driven decisions. Spot is a compact, nimble four-legged robot designed with what the company calls ‘athletic intelligence’ - a form of artifi cial intelligence (AI) that allows it to walk, climb stairs, avoid obstacles, traverse diffi cult terrain, and autonomously follow preset routes with little or no input from users. According to Spot’s
developers, the robot is easy to use and learns intuitively, making it quick to deploy for both manual operations and autonomous missions. The robot has a payload of 14kg, is capable of moving up steps with a height of 30cm and a slope of ±30°, and has a maximum speed of 1.6m/s. The robot’s terrain sensing
capabilities help with inspections and feature a 360° horizontal fi eld of view, a range of up to four metres and a collision avoidance system allowing the robot to maintain a set distance from station obstacles. As for its
walking control system, Boston Dynamics has leveraged model predictive control (MPC), a strategy that predicts and optimises the robot’s future state in order to decide what action to take in the moment. Spot can also operate at
temperatures of between -20°C to 55°C, making it an ideal choice for environments such as oil and gas facilities. It also has an ingress protection level of IP54, meaning its electrical components are protected by dust and water that it is likely to encounter on site.
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