ANYmal can carry modular sensor payloads and detect machine noises and fuel leaks. Supply: ANYbotics
Figuring out and managing fuel leaks at industrial websites may be expensive and unsafe. ANYbotics AG immediately launched a brand new Gasoline Leak and Presence Detection functionality for its ANYmal quadruped robotic.
“Gasoline leaks are an invisible but important drawback in industrial environments, particularly in petrochemical crops, the place many gases are fugitive,” mentioned the Zurich-based firm. “A single, undetected fuel leak can price a facility over $57,000 yearly, which may rapidly add up, past the speedy security dangers.”
Handbook inspections typically miss current leaks and early indicators of pipework failure, akin to delicate temperature modifications or uncommon noises, ANYbotics added. As a result of these inspections are tedious, inconsistently tracked, and infrequently rare, essential gear can go unchecked, permitting many fuel leaks to go unnoticed and resulting in expensive and probably harmful conditions.
“Our new Gasoline Leak and Presence Detection resolution is a game-changer for industrial leak detection and prevention,” acknowledged Péter Fankhauser, CEO of ANYbotics. “By combining ANYmal’s autonomous navigation with modular fuel detectors and a 360° acoustic imaging payload, we’re offering a robust, versatile software that considerably enhances security and drives substantial price financial savings for our prospects.”
“Our autonomous cellular robots [AMRs] can now detect the supply of leaks, quantify the loss, and alert personnel in actual time,” he mentioned. “By extending protection throughout the whole facility, we’re offering a stage of precision and effectivity that reduces operational prices, improves security, and lowers emissions.”
360° acoustic imaging gives improved precision
ANYbotics mentioned its built-in fuel detectors and acoustic imaging payload can exactly find leaks and concurrently measure ambient fuel concentrations. The brand new cellular acoustic imaging digital camera is ready to entry areas which might be troublesome and dear to achieve with conventional static sensors, it famous.
The acoustic sensor can detect a big selection of widespread industrial fuel leaks, akin to steam, compressed air, vacuum, poisonous gases, and hydrocarbons, defined ANYbotics.
The corporate claimed that ANYmal allows inspection and upkeep groups to not solely detect extra leaks, but in addition to proactively establish vulnerabilities in essential pipework, serving to to stop future leaks.
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Modular payload senses completely different gases
The brand new Gasoline Presence Detection resolution’s modular design permits customers to swap in detectors for various gases, together with oxygen, hydrocarbons, ammonia, and lots of others, after which calibrate them on web site.
“The platform helps mounting as much as two detectors on the similar time, and these are hot-swappable by the client, enabling quick adaptation to completely different mission wants inside gas-storage amenities,” Fankhauser advised The Robotic Report.
“When used collectively, the acoustic imager and fuel detectors complement one another — whereas the acoustic imager pinpoints the precise supply of a pressurized fuel leak, the fuel detectors measure the focus of gases current within the setting,” he defined. “This mixed setup allows each localization and quantification of fuel anomalies.”
“Clients can mix sensor payloads on ANYmal to fulfill their particular inspection wants,” added Fankhauser. “The robotic helps a multi-sensor configuration, permitting integration of fuel detectors, acoustic imagers, thermal cameras, visible cameras, high-precision scanners, and microphones.”
“This inherent flexibility permits ANYmal to constantly monitor numerous fuel concentrations round its physique throughout each autonomous and teleoperated missions, tremendously enhancing security in areas the place static sensors supply restricted protection,” ANYbotics asserted. “The system additionally gives customer-configurable thresholds that set off an alarm upon overexposure.”
By detecting fugitive gases and automating inspections in hazardous and hard-to-reach areas, ANYmal can cut back human publicity to harmful substances and environments, mentioned the corporate.
ANYmal can recurrently examine hazardous or difficult-to-reach areas. Supply: ANYbotics
Gasoline Presence Detection system feeds insights
The Gasoline Leak and Presence Detection system can establish partial discharge occasions and mechanical anomalies. It then quantifies the speed of detected emissions and delivers actionable insights straight into Knowledge Navigator, ANYbotics’ inspection knowledge and asset administration platform launched in February.
“Past totally licensed {hardware} integration, the system is totally embedded into ANYbotics’ knowledge platform and mission interface, enabling computerized detection, alerting, and visualization,” mentioned Fankhauser. “Gasoline-related anomalies are contextualized on the power’s flooring plan, permitting operators to localize points rapidly and analyze them alongside different inspection knowledge akin to visible and thermal imagery.”
“Knowledge Navigator is extra asset-centric — the info simply occurs to be collected by the robots,” he mentioned. “The person who operates the robotic just isn’t essentially the identical as the one who is within the knowledge. The platform makes use of language for upkeep engineers and plant managers.”
ANYmal can autonomously examine amenities and property extra incessantly and recurrently than handbook inspections to generate invaluable pattern knowledge. That knowledge may help firms plan for predictive upkeep and extra proactive repairs to allow them to adjust to environmental laws, get operational price financial savings, and contribute to sustainability targets, mentioned ANYbotics.
The Gasoline Leak and Presence Detection functionality is obtainable as an add-on to the usual ANYmal platform. Clients can add it as a part of a payload configuration, relying on their inspection necessities.
ANYbotics gives versatile enterprise fashions as a part of its robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) subscription setup, with Gasoline Leak and Presence Detection use instances beginning at lower than $1,000 per 30 days.
The Gasoline Leak and Presence Detection resolution feeds actionable knowledge to the Knowledge Navigator platform. Supply: ANYbotics
Early adopters already see financial savings, says ANYbotics
Some ANYbotics prospects within the vitality, metals, mining, and oil and fuel sectors have already used the brand new Gasoline Leak and Presence Detection resolution. Early adopters akin to Outokumpu Oyj and DSM-Firmenich AG mentioned the system is demonstrating advantages.
“Gasoline Leak Detection suits into our knowledge and upkeep technique and provides us peace of thoughts so we are able to concentrate on value-creating duties,” mentioned Patrik d’Allens, head of technical providers at DSM-Firmenich.
Based in 2009, ANYbotics has designed ANYmal for autonomous operations, superior mobility, and real-time knowledge assortment in difficult industrial environments. It mentioned the legged robots are appropriate for routine inspections, distant operations, or predictive upkeep.
The firm has about 200 staff and workplaces in Zurich and San Francisco. ANYbotics has raised greater than $130 million from European and Silicon Valley buyers, together with $60 million in December 2024, to fund its world enlargement.
“The market is receptive to constructing firms which might be sustainable in the long run, not simply round AI,” Fankhauser mentioned. “We’re not simply centered on transport robots, but in addition on getting our boots on the bottom, integrating software program and {hardware}, and getting certifications in cybersecurity. We’re additionally doubling down on the North American market and increasing our price proposition with new capabilities.”
