Take a Stroll Through the Chemical Park with Robots and Drones

Robots in Chemical Sites Take a Stroll Through the Chemical Park with Robots and Drones

2024-02-16 From Dominik Stephan 3 min Reading Time

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On a tour with the robot: anyone who wants to keep an eye on complex production facilities covering 4.4 square kilometers will hopefully be good on their feet - or have help from tireless colleagues made of sheet metal and plastic. At one of the largest refinery and petrochemical sites in Germany, in the middle of the Rhineland, the robots are already on the move..

Three new colleagues made of sheet metal and plastic: robots are on the loose at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland refinery and chemical park.(Source: Energy Robotics/Shell Deutschland) — Three new colleagues made of sheet metal and plastic: robots are on the loose at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland refinery and chemical park.
(Source: Energy Robotics/Shell Deutschland)

It buzzes, rolls and scrambles: For some time now, not only employees in overalls and safety shoes have been trudging through the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland, but also robots. On foot or on roller chains and as a drone in the air, the metal comrades keep an eye on the site. And they do this autonomously: By using autonomous robots, site operator Shell can not only plan and carry out inspection missions remotely, it also enables the collection of large amounts of data of consistently high quality.

The Robots Are Coming! On an Inspection Tour of the Chemical Plant with my Colleague, the Robot

Mobile inspection robots: Evonik and Merck use them, BASF has them, and hydropower and oil plants are also their territory. Here is a 'spot' of the robot pioneer Boston Dynamics with application know-how from Germany: Energy Robotics, a spin-off from the TU Darmstadt, teaches the robots the knowledge they need in order to be utilized in industrial plants.(Source: © Stefan Daub_Energy Robotics)

Using intelligent software from Energy Robotics, Spot provides consistent data to improve plant efficiency.(Source: © Stefan Daub_Energy Robotics)

Spot can handle challenges like industrial stairs autonomously.(Source: © Stefan Daub_Energy Robotics)

Energy Robotics has integrated sensors on Spot to enable more efficient condition monitoring.(Source: © Stefan Daub_Energy Robotics)

Gallery with 15 images

And all this with additional safety for operations and - very importantly - the employees in the plant, who can concentrate on their core tasks and leave potentially dangerous inspections to the robot.

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