Second-phase development of the first offshore work class robot (OWCR) kicked off in October, improving on an autonomous robot designed to perform visual inspections for onshore and offshore energy installations. The goal is to substitute robots for humans in high-risk situations.

The project brings together several European companies under the umbrella of the Oil & Gas Technology Center (OGTC), an Aberdeen, Scotland-based organization that partners with industry, government and academia to develop ideas into products and services. Austrian robotics firm Taurob and TU Darmstadt constructed an ATEX-certified (approved for use in a gas plant) robot based on the design with which they won Paris-based Total E&P’s ARGOS (Autonomous Robots for Gas and Oil Sites) challenge. This contest challenged entrants to devise an autonomous robot that could tackle routine tasks in a simulated oil and gas operational environment.

“A lot of our work on hazardous environments focuses on whether we can avoid sending people into those areas in the first place,” said Stephen Ashley, head of OGTC’s digital transformation solution center.

The next development phase will concentrate on adding a stronger chassis and a heavy-duty arm that can lift objects and turn valves. The goal is a robot that offshore workers can operate without having to rely on onshore robotics experts. The design already incorporates a new ATEX-certified battery, developed by Saft, that extends performance. Bot Total and Norwegian company Equinor have signed on to test the robot’s next iteration.

Rebecca Allison of the OGTC stated that a robot could be working with humans on an offshore drilling platform in 18 months.