Gas Sensors Plus Robots Equals Safety

Autonomous robots continue to be deployed in industrial applications—one of the most common being inspections. Robots and drones can be equipped with a variety of sensors to collect data, which artificial intelligence (AI) can analyze and report on.

In industrial applications, gas leaks are a huge risk—to workers, equipment, and the bottom line. Where human inspections are expensive and can be inconsistent (not to mention risk to those humans), a new solution is working to catch gas leaks early with autonomous robots. 

From MFE Inspection solutions

MFE Inspection Solutions combines Boston Dynamics Spot robots and the Teledyne FLIR MUVE C360 air gas monitor to autonomously inspect hazardous environments for the smallest traces of gas. If gas is detected, a shutdown process can occur immediately, the issue can be identified and resolved, and safety remains a top priority. 

“This is a perfect example of using unmanned chemical sensing to reduce risk for oil and gas, as well as other industrial manufactures,” said Craig Cume, product management director for detection at Teledyne FLIR. “The MUVE C360 sensor on board Spot is making reliable and effective remote gas detection a reality.”

According to the MFE team, on a recent mission, the Teledyne FLIR MUVE C360 mounted on Spot detected a plume of combustible gas, and Spot immediately shut down as part of its standard safety procedure. The safety team moved in to identify a pinhole leak on a nearby asset.

Depending on the facility and application, robots and drones can be equipped with sensors and programmed to autonomously inspect for the hazards most relevant in that environment. Sensitive detection equipment and autonomous robots can prove much more effective than human inspections—without putting humans at risk. 

“Spot has been serving the Oil & Gas industry for years, and is a great example of the many ways in which our unique and extensible platform is adding value to customers,” said Chris McCasky, Boston Dynamics Oil & Gas commercial lead. “By leveraging the latest and most advanced automated inspection technologies available, our customers can keep their facilities running safely and efficiently.”

I’m just glad I don’t have a gas sensing robot at home. Because I have a dog…it’s always the dog.