Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

anymal

ANYbotics unveils new four-legged robot for oil rig inspection

by Leave a Comment

ANYbotics, a Swiss robotics company, has introduced ANYmal X, describing it as “the world’s first Ex-proof legged robot”.

ANYmal X now makes it possible for the oil and gas and chemical industries to automate routine inspections, thereby increasing safety and operational effectiveness, says the company.

ANYmal X extends the leading mobility, autonomy, and inspection intelligence of ANYbotics’ robotic inspection solution. It is specifically designed and certified for safe usage in hazardous and potentially explosive environments – a game changer for the industry. [Read more…] about ANYbotics unveils new four-legged robot for oil rig inspection

How robots learn to hike: ETH researchers look to improve four-legged ANYmal’s mobility

by Leave a Comment

By Christoph Elhardt

ETH Zurich researchers led by Marco Hutter have developed a new control approach that enables a legged robot, called ANYmal, to move quickly and robustly over difficult terrain.

Thanks to machine learning, the robot can combine its visual perception of the environment with its sense of touch for the first time.

Steep sections on slippery ground, high steps, scree and forest trails full of roots: the path up the 1,098-​metre-high Mount Etzel at the southern end of Lake Zurich is peppered with numerous obstacles. [Read more…] about How robots learn to hike: ETH researchers look to improve four-legged ANYmal’s mobility

ANYmal helps mining giant Vale to prioritize people in its industry

by Leave a Comment

In a partnership with ANYbotics, Vale highlights its commitment to becoming one of the safest and most reliable mining companies in the world.

The results showed that ANYmal helps reduce exposure to hazardous conditions and integrates seamlessly into Vale’s team to autonomously perform routine inspections and deliver improved reporting during operations and periods of downtime. [Read more…] about ANYmal helps mining giant Vale to prioritize people in its industry

ANYbotics boosts autonomous mobile robots with Velodyne lidar sensors

by Leave a Comment

ANYbotics is equipping its autonomous mobile robots with Velodyne’s Puck lidar sensors. ANYbotics robots provide industrial operators with an automated robotic inspection solution to support efforts in monitoring and maintaining plants.

ANYbotics’ four-legged robot ANYmal performs inspection and monitoring tasks in challenging industrial terrains such as mining and minerals, oil and gas, chemicals, energy and construction.

ANYmal’s legs provide unparalleled mobility when moving up and down stairs, climbing over obstacles, steps and gaps, and crawling into tight spaces. ANYmal’s inspection payload provides visual, thermal and acoustic insights for condition monitoring of equipment and infrastructure. [Read more…] about ANYbotics boosts autonomous mobile robots with Velodyne lidar sensors

ANYmal robot being put to work inspecting BASF facility

by Leave a Comment

Robot maker ANYbotics has unveiled its collaboration with BASF, one of the largest global chemical manufacturers, which involves the use of the ANYmal robot for inspections at Ludwigshafen, Germany. (See video below.) 

The two companies say the collaboration “displays the efficiency, quality, and scalability of robotic inspection and data-collection capabilities in complex industrial environments”.

On production floors, robotics and manufacturing have gone hand-in-hand for decades. But on industrial plants, repetitive inspections, environment mapping, and efficiency analytics have mostly relied on manual work. These physical efforts impact economic sustainability, as well as process reliability and data quality. [Read more…] about ANYmal robot being put to work inspecting BASF facility

Explosion-proof ANYmal canine robots inspecting Petronas’ offshore platform

by Leave a Comment

Petronas, a global energy and solutions company from Malaysia, is testing the ANYmal four-legged dog-like robot from ANYbotics for autonomous robotic inspection on its oil and gas platforms. (See video below.)

They recently conducted a successful multi-week installation with the robot ANYmal C on one of their offshore facilities. For commercial use in 2022, ANYbotics and Petronas are co-developing a specialized version of ANYmal for potentially explosive environments.

Petronas relies on robotics to enable unmanned industrial inspections in its production operations. Its long-term partnership with ANYbotics focuses on bringing robotic routine inspection to offshore and onshore facilities targeting the commercial use of the ANYmal canine robot in potentially explosive environments by 2022. [Read more…] about Explosion-proof ANYmal canine robots inspecting Petronas’ offshore platform

ANYbotics and maxon enter into a strategic partnership

by Leave a Comment

ANYbotics, a leader in autonomous mobile robotics for industrial application, is joining forces with the renowned drive specialist maxon.

ANYbotics provides important robotics and drive know-how to maxon who will in the future supply the drive systems for the autonomous ANYmal inspection robot.

A solid partnership: ANYbotics and maxon are entering into a close, long-term collaboration and are thus strengthening Switzerland as a prime location for robotics.

[Read more…] about ANYbotics and maxon enter into a strategic partnership

AnyBotics ships first Anymal robot units to customers

by Leave a Comment

After a long time in stealth and development, startup company AnyBotics has shipped the first production batch of its Anymal C robots, which are four-legged, canine-type walking robots.

Although it doesn’t name its customers specifically, the company says the units have been delivered to “engineering partners and research customers worldwide”.

The company says the deliveries mark a “significant milestone” for AnyBotics as a mobile robot manufacturer as well as an “important step in revolutionizing the industrial inspection and maintenance workflow”. [Read more…] about AnyBotics ships first Anymal robot units to customers

Anybotics upgrades its canine robot Anymal for industrial inspection

by

Anybotics has upgraded its four-legged industrial inspection robot, Anymal, saying it is part of a new generation of machines. (See video below.)

Named “ANYmal C”, this robot is optimized for industrial inspection tasks where it can provide high availability, safety, and reliability for automated routine inspections with a wide range of sensors.

ANYmal C was presented for the first time at the World Robot Conference in Beijing recently. [Read more…] about Anybotics upgrades its canine robot Anymal for industrial inspection

World’s first autonomous offshore robot tested in North Sea

by

A four-legged robotic platform, ANYmal, has autonomously performed various inspection tasks in a one-week pilot installation on an offshore converter platform in the North Sea, making it the world’s first autonomous offshore robot.

The robot maker, ANYbotics, is partnering with TenneT, a Dutch-German transmission system operator, to evaluate robotic inspection and maintenance on offshore converter platforms. TenneT connects large-scale offshore wind farms to the onshore grid over a high-voltage DC connection.

In periods of unmanned platform operation, a mobile robot helps to reduce the risk of disruptions and ensures the security of the electricity supply.

[Read more…] about World’s first autonomous offshore robot tested in North Sea