Industrial Robotics, Drones, Automation, Geospatial & AI
April 9, 2024: Issue 90
Our Industry amigos, AIRT and DRONERESPONDERS have launched the 2024 Public Safety UAS Survey to collect data from various stakeholders using Drones For Good®.Droneresponder survey. You know what to do ☑️
* BTW, be sure to check out the all new program for the co-located DRONERESPONDERS Texas Emergency Management Forum event along with the EDR Summit in June to catch THREE action-packed days of networking & learning!
What’s Inside:
💡 Energizing Innovation: Drones & Robots in Energy
🤖 Help Me, Help You: Understanding Humanoid Robots for Industry
📈 Going Up: Elevating Power Generation: The Era of Drone-Driven Facility Inspections
🏁 Faster, Faster: Accelerating Autonomous Tech with Marine Robotics
From transforming safety protocols to optimizing operational prowess, drones and robotics are reshaping the energy landscape, igniting new possibilities for exploration and production.
In our use case roundup, we unveil a symphony of success stories where these technological marvels are driving unprecedented advancements:
Chevron's Spot Robots: Witness how Chevron is pioneering the integration of Spot robots from Boston Dynamics into its operations, setting new benchmarks for safety, efficiency, and decision-making.
Shell's Drone and Robot Fleet: Delve into Shell's groundbreaking deployment of drones and robots in Germany, elevating inspection processes and safety standards to unprecedented heights.
Arch Aerial's Energy Solutions: Explore Arch Aerial's comprehensive suite of drone services tailored specifically for the energy sector, offering unparalleled insights and efficiencies.
ExxonMobil's Methane Emissions Reduction: Discover ExxonMobil's unwavering commitment to combating methane emissions through cutting-edge technology and collaborative initiatives.
Revolutionizing Nuclear Cleanup: Uncover the transformative role of robotics in nuclear decommissioning and cleanup efforts, heralding a safer and more efficient approach to managing nuclear facilities.
Robotic Innovations in Oilfields: Dive into the realm of sci-fi turned reality as robots become indispensable in oil rigs, refineries, and pipelines, ushering in a new era of safety and efficiency.
Prepare to be inspired, energized, and propelled into the future of energy.
Want to hear & see the latest robotics/drone case studies, deployments and best practices from energy asset owners/operators live and in-person? Be sure to grab your ticket for the largest gathering in the world at the 8th Annual Energy Drone & Robotics Summit, June 10-12 in Houston, TX.
WHAT'S UP
Help Me, Help You: While the notion of the concept of the general-purpose humanoid has, in essence, been around longer than the word “robot,” until recently, the realization of the concept has seemed wholly out of grasp. We’re very much not there yet, but for the first time, the concept has appeared over the horizon. Discover what a general-purpose humanoid is.
Game Changer: Advanced drone technology solutions tailored for asset monitoring have emerged as a key solution among utility organizations, like NYPA, ComEd, Southern Company and AEP, investing in innovative technology. Autonomous drones are enabling remote/off-site inspections at the click of a mouse, providing a way to navigate the challenges of both data capture and digital asset management in a single, easy-to-use, and intuitive platform.
SPONSORED BY: Flyability | NA UT Launch
Flyability is hosting a North American UT Launch event onMay 1-2, 2024 in Denver, CO. During this all-day event, you will hear from Flyability experts about the new payload, attend a panel discussion about using the UT probe with the Elios 3, and have an opportunity to fly with the new payload. Be among the first to see the UT payload live and talk to our sales team about getting your own! Space is limited so secure your spot today!
WHAT'S NEXT
Auterion, a provider of cutting-edge operating systems for autonomous computing, has partnered with Kraken Technology Group, a maritime technology manufacturer, to develop autonomous systems in the security boat sector.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is working to join the emerging interest in enterprise digital twins, following the technology’s broad usage in sectors like healthcare and manufacturing. HPE is building a new digital twin-as-a-service (DTaaS) solution to ease enterprise clients into spatial data and simulation services and introduce new use cases.
Exyn Technologiesannounced the launch of Exyn Nexys, a revolutionary modular 3D mapping solution. Designed for professionals in mining, construction, AEC, and geospatial industries, Nexys sets a new standard in autonomous mapping technology, offering unparalleled flexibility, speed, and accuracy in the most demanding surveying and inspection environments.
Aethero, a startup mainly dealing with AI and UAS, has raised more than $1.1 million. This funding will help the company pursue its mission of promoting the growth of new unattended aerial systems and artificial intelligence technologies.
uAvionix is to advance the commercial utilization of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) through a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contract.
SLB recently announced it will buy smaller rivalChampionX in an all-stock deal valued at $7.75 billion, amid growing consolidation in the North American energy sector.
Gather AI announced a $17 million Series A-1 funding round led by Bain Capital Ventures. This brings the total amount raised to-date by the company to $34 million.
WHAT ELSE
Robots Go Off-Road!
(Image Credit: Indro Robotics)
Fascinating research is taking place at George Mason University: Building robots that are taught – and can subsequently teach themselves – how to adapt to changing terrain to ensure stable travel at the maximum safe speed. It’s very cool research, with really positive implications.
“At RobotiXX lab, researchers (XX-Men) and robots (XX-Bots) perform robotics research at the intersection of motion planning and machine learning with a specific focus on robustly deployable field robotics. Our research goal is to develop highly capable and intelligent mobile robots that are robustly deployable in the real world with minimal human supervision.” stated Dr. Xuesu Xiao, an Assistant Professor at George Mason University.
It turns out he’s particularly interested in making robots that are particularly useful to First Responders, and carrying out those dull, dirty and dangerous tasks. Speed in such situations can be critical, but comes with its own set of challenges. A robot that makes too sharp a turn at speed on a high friction surface can easily roll over – effectively becoming useless in its task. Plus, there are the difficulties previously flagged with other terrains. Read more! --> (h/t Indro Robotics)
