ICYMI: September 2023 Energy Drone & Robotics Top Stories
/Welcome to our recap of the top stories for September from the Energy Drone & Robotics newsletter, where we delve into the transformative trends, breakthroughs, and game-changing applications that are propelling the energy sector into the future.
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This month, our top stories continue to emphasize the applications for drones and robots in energy and other industrial applications.
Drones and Robots Ready to Help Maintain America’s Infrastructure
The U.S. has a lot of infrastructure to rebuild, and drones and robots are at the ready to help make it happen. From inspections to maintenance and repair, providers are developing drones and robots that can help through every step of the process.
Some of the drone companies making waves in infrastructure include:
Gecko Robotics - Uses magnetic wall-climbing robots to inspect for corrosion and cracking
Skydio - Works with enterprises to build drone inspection programs for power lines, factories, and more
VideoRay - Develops underwater drones that inspect underwater assets for wear and tear
Robots Improve Operations and Safety in the Oilfield
Infrastructure isn’t the only place we’re seeing robots and drones step up (sometimes literally, like the 4-legged ANYmal that can climb stairs). They’re also being used in the oilfield, often for inspection-related tasks.
from robohub
The goals of implementing robot inspection systems include:
Reducing the number of inspections humans must do
Keeping humans out of hazardous environments
Inspecting equipment while operations are running to avoid shutdowns
Lowering the cost of inspections while increasing effectiveness
Identifying issues early with more frequent inspections
It doesn’t end at inspections—drones and robots are also being used for oil platform supervision, riser operations, and more.
See how robots and drones are being used in the oilfield.
From Ground to Orbit
On LinkedIn, Wassim Ghadban, Vice President of Global Innovation & Digital Engineering at Kent, wrote about how drones, satellites, and robots are transforming oil & gas.
Ghadban covered the ways these emerging technologies are being used across the industry, including:
Inspections and leak detection
Construction progress and reality capture
Geofencing and access control
Quantity surveillance and emissions monitoring
Augmenting maintenance capabilities
He also covers the challenges and limitations currently facing the industry and the technologies. Read the full article over on LinkedIn.
