Swiss robotics company ANYbotics has begun delivering its ANYmal X, a four-legged inspection robot designed to operate in potentially explosive environments, to industrial customers including Equinor and DSM-Firmenich.
The robot is intended for oil, gas and chemical facilities, where the presence of flammable gases and vapors can make conventional robotic equipment unsuitable for use.
ANYbotics describes ANYmal X as the world’s first legged inspection robot developed specifically for explosive atmospheres. Its introduction follows several years of engineering and industrial trials involving companies including BP, Shell, Petronas, Petrobras, BASF and SLB.
The participating companies have tested the robot across hundreds of onshore and offshore inspection missions since 2023.
Making a walking robot safe for explosive environments
Developing a mobile robot for hazardous industrial environments presents an unusual engineering challenge.
Unlike fixed industrial equipment, a quadruped robot needs powerful electric motors, a substantial battery, multiple moving joints and sophisticated sensors, all while remaining light and agile enough to climb stairs and negotiate narrow walkways.
Any electrical spark, excessive temperature or mechanical fault could potentially become an ignition source in an atmosphere containing flammable gases.
ANYbotics says it spent four years developing ANYmal X, generating more than 10 patents in the process.
Péter Fankhauser, co-founder and CEO of ANYbotics, says: “Four years of pioneering engineering with more than ten patents went into ANYmal X.”
He adds: “Many experts thought a legged robot could never be made safe for explosive atmospheres. Oil, gas and chemical plants are among the most hazardous and most costly places to operate. That makes them the prime case for physical and industrial AI, yet until now the areas that matter most were off-limits to robots like ours. That changes today.”
The robot incorporates a range of explosion-protection measures. Its AI computer and inspection equipment are housed in sealed, nitrogen-filled chambers, while its battery and twelve leg actuators are protected by flameproof casings.
Conductive feet provide grounding, and automatic safety systems monitor temperatures and other operating conditions.
ANYmal X has been designed to meet ATEX and IECEx explosion-protection requirements. Its stated ATEX certification covers specified hazardous gas environments, including Zones 1 and 2, rather than every category of explosive atmosphere.
Autonomous inspections without modifying facilities
ANYmal X is designed to conduct routine inspection rounds through industrial facilities without requiring modifications to existing infrastructure.
It uses visual, thermal, acoustic and gas sensors to monitor equipment such as pumps, compressors, valves and pipelines.
The sensors can identify signs of overheating, gas leaks, unusual sounds and other potential equipment problems, allowing maintenance teams to investigate developing faults before they lead to failures.
Because the robot can repeatedly follow inspection routes, it also provides a consistent record of equipment condition over time.
The system operates through ANYbotics’ Shift software platform, which schedules inspection missions, organizes measurements by asset and connects findings with existing maintenance systems, including SAP, Yokogawa and SLB.
Thierry Obédé, chief revenue officer at ANYbotics, says: “A certified robot is only the entry ticket for inspecting oil, gas, and chemicals facilities. ANYmal X is a complete end-to-end inspection solution built for performance, safety, and security. It combines autonomous navigation, industrial AI for data interpretation, and integrations that convert findings directly into maintenance work orders. Today, more than 50 power, metals, and materials customers use this system to run over 120,000 autonomous inspections every month.”
Those inspection figures refer to ANYbotics’ wider installed inspection system, rather than the newly launched ANYmal X alone.
The start of commercial deliveries represents a further step toward using autonomous robots in hazardous industrial environments, where inspections have traditionally required personnel to enter potentially dangerous areas.
ANYbotics has not disclosed how many ANYmal X units are being delivered or the value of the initial customer orders.
