In a world-first, French Total is set to deploy groundbreaking autonomous robots to a North Sea oil platform to test the machines in operational inspections at the facility. The 18-month trial project is a continuation of Total’s ARGOS challenge, which an Austro-German team of engineers won last year. The challenge—Autonomous Robots for Gas and Oil Sites (ARGOS)—aimed to tap the potential of robotics in enhancing the safety on offshore oil platforms, improving productivity, and lowering costs. The challenge was launched in 2015, and the winner was selected based on security and reliability features, an explosion-proof design, and ease of use. The one-of-a-kind robot, known as the ARGONAUTS robot, that will now be deployed on the Alwyn platform is a little over a meter high and weighs almost 200 pounds. It can localize objects with a precision of one centimeter and it features a 3D simulator that ensures the safe […]