-Rockwell Automation leverages IoT, gamification and digital twin technologies to implement a Robotic Supervision System (RSS) for TotalEnergies
A robotic project brings autonomous cooperation to oil and gas operators
BRUSSELS, April 24, 2023/PRNewswire/ — Rockwell Automation, (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company focused on industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced that it is working with TotalEnergies, the global multi-energy company , to implement a robotic fleet management system, promoting autonomous operations for its offshore platforms. The long-running project will reach a major milestone with its first test in an offshore asset scheduled for mid-2023.
Autonomous operations have long been an aspiration of the oil and gas industry due to the difficult working conditions associated with offshore operations. This knowledge is extensible to offshore wind projects. Energy companies are investing in the use of robotics at these facilities, seeking to enable unmanned operations for long periods; reduce employee exposure to dangerous situations; increase security; attract young talent interested in new technologies; and further reduce CAPEX and OPEX.
For a decade, TotalEnergies has been investing in robots and remote operations, in particular with autonomous surveillance and inspection robots certified according to the ATEX standard on explosive atmospheres.
“Due to the remote and often challenging environments in which offshore oil and gas companies operate, there is a strategic objective to minimize employee exposure on these platforms,” said Matt Graves, director of Kalypso, a Rockwell Automation. “Over the years, this has been achieved by improving design and automating equipment. But there are still tasks that must be done manually, many of which involve observations by operators. For five years, TotalEnergies has been researching the They used ground robots to do some of these manual tasks, and the next step was to develop a control system to operate these robots remotely. To do this, they turned to Kalypso.”
TotalEnergies has been working with Kalypso and other partners to implement a Robotic Supervision System (RSS). This will allow operators located in a control room on the ground to remotely supervise and coordinate the robots using IoT technology, autonomously carrying out the various activities that field operators are carrying out in conventional facilities: from the periodic inspection operation and maintenance tasks to emergency response.
Challenged with how to interface the robots with existing industrial systems and how to represent the data in a user-friendly interface, Kalypso turned to the Unity game engine from Unity Technologies. This real-time development platform and its robust ecosystem are the backbone of many of today’s best video games. In recent years, it has been adopted by the industry to create interactive digital content from 3D data and deploy it on various platforms, such as mobile devices, computers, and AR and VR devices. This solution combines the functionality of a digital twin and the mobility and synchronization of a gaming platform.
The resulting robot monitoring system concentrates the information provided by several different types of robots and consolidates the HMI screens necessary for remote operators to work efficiently and effectively.
“These tests are important at this stage of the project so that we understand all the operational aspects of using the robots for inspection purposes, anticipating the subsequent maintenance and operational potential,” said Grégoire Audouin, Robotics Systems Architect at the R&D Department of TotalEnergies. “The main advantage for operators is being able to remotely control these robots and have an immersive view from a central control room. There is enormous potential for innovation in our industry.”
In this way, TotalEnergies, with the support of Kalypso, is creating the facilities of the future, ensuring that they are safer, more efficient and more sustainable.
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