UK Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Hub for Offshore Energy Asset Integrity Management

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Ocean Energy)
Renewable Energy Sources(Wind Energy)
Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Other oil and gas)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Computer Science and Informatics)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Professor D Lane
School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Heriot-Watt University

Professor Y Petillot
School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Heriot-Watt University

Standard

EPSRC

02 October 2017

31 March 2022

54 months

£15,223,235

Info. & commun. Technol.

Scotland; Scotland

ISCF Robotics

Professor D Lane, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University
Professor Y Petillot, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University

Professor P Cawley, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London
Dr F Cegla, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London
Professor M Chantler, Sch of Mathematical and Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University
Dr M Dragone, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University
Dr M Erden, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University
Dr M Fallon, Engineering Science, University of Oxford
Professor M Fisher, Computer Scienc, University of Liverpool
Dr D Flynn, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University
Professor HF Hastie, Sch of Mathematical and Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University
Dr I Havoutis, Engineering Science, University of Oxford
Dr TM Hospedales, Sch of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Prof DM Ingram, Energy Systems, University of Edinburgh
Dr M Jump, Mech, Materials & Aerospace Engineerin, University of Liverpool
Dr A Kiprakis, Sch of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh
Dr M Kovac, Aeronautics, Imperial College London
Dr K S Lohan, Sch of Mathematical and Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University
Dr M Mistry, School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham
Dr C Patchett, Engineering (Level 1), University of Liverpool
Dr R Petrick, Sch of Mathematical and Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University
Dr S Ramamoorthy, Sch of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Dr V Robu, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University
Dr A Stokes, Sch of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh
Professor S Vijayakumar, Sch of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Dr S Wang, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University
Professor C Williams, Sch of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Project Contact, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult
Project Contact, Permasense Limited
Project Contact, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd, Japan
Project Contact, SPRINT Robotics Collaborative, The Netherlands
Project Contact, Baker Hughes (Europe) Ltd
Project Contact, The Oil and Gas Technology Centre Ltd
Project Contact, The Underwater Centre (UK)
Project Contact, Autonomous Surface Vehicles Limited
Project Contact, Tenaris S.A. (Luxembourg)
Project Contact, ABB Group (International), Switzerland
Project Contact, Total E&P UK PLC
Project Contact, Scottish Enterprise (SE)
Project Contact, Bahir Dar University
Project Contact, Schlumberger Cambridge Research Ltd
Project Contact, KUKA Robotics UK Limited
Project Contact, Subsea 7 Ltd
Project Contact, SgurrEnergy Limited
Project Contact, The Data Lab
Project Contact, SeeByte Limited
Project Contact, TechnipFMC plc
Project Contact, CENSIS
Project Contact, Lloyd's Register
Project Contact, OGIC (Oil and Gas Innovation Centre)
Project Contact, Chevron North Sea Limited
Project Contact, Guided Ultrasonics Ltd
Project Contact, BP International Ltd
Project Contact, Hydrason Solutions Ltd
Project Contact, ITF (Industry Technology Facilitator)
Project Contact, SCHUNK Intec Limited (UK)
Project Contact, Lloyd's Register EMEA
Project Contact, Tharsus

The international offshore energy industry currently faces the triple challenges of an oil price expected to remain less than $50 a barrel, significant expensive decommissioning commitments of old infrastructure (especially North Sea) and small margins on the traded commodity price per KWh of offshore renewable energy. Further, the offshore workforce is ageing as new generations of suitable graduates prefer not to work in hazardous places offshore. Operators therefore seek more cost effective, safe methods and business models for inspection, repair and maintenance of their topside and marine offshore infrastructure. Robotics and artificial intelligence are seen as key enablers in this regard as fewer staff offshore reduces cost, increases safety and workplace appeal.The long-term industry vision is thus for a completely autonomous offshore energy field, operated, inspected and maintained from the shore. The time is now right to further develop, integrate and de-risk these into certifiable evaluation prototypes because there is a pressing need to keep UK offshore oil and renewable energy fields economic, and to develop more productive and agile products and services that UK startups, SMEs and the supply chain can export internationally. This will maintain a key economic sector currently worth 40 billion and 440,000 jobs to the UK economy, and a supply chain adding a further 6 billion in exports of goods and services.The ORCA Hub is an ambitious initiative that brings together internationally leading experts from 5 UK universities with over 30 industry partners (> 17.5M investment). Led by the Edinburgh Centre of Robotics (HWU/UoE), in collaboration with Imperial College, Oxford and Liverpool Universities, this multi-disciplinary consortium brings its unique expertise in: Subsea (HWU), Ground (UoE, Oxf) and Aerial robotics (ICL); as well as human-machine interaction (HWU, UoE), innovative sensors for Non Destructive Evaluation and low-cost sensor networks L, UoE); and asset management and certification (HWU, UoE, LIV).The Hub will provide game-changing, remote solutions using robotics and AI that are readily integratable with existing and future assets and sensors, and that can operate and interact safely in autonomous or semi-autonomous modes in complex and cluttered environments. We will develop robotics solutions enabling accurate mapping of, navigation around and interaction with offshore assets that support the deployment of sensors networks for asset monitoring. Human-machine systems will be able to co-operate with remotely located human operators through an intelligent interface that manages the cognitive load of users in these complex, high-risk situations. Robots and sensors will be integrated into a broad asset integrity information and planning platform that supports self-certification of the assets and robots.

22/02/19