Projects: Projects for Investigator UKERC Home UKERC Energy Data Centre Projects Choose Investigator All Projects involving EP/R026173/1
Reference Number	EP/R026173/1
Title	UK Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Hub for Offshore Energy Asset Integrity Management
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Renewable Energy Sources(Wind Energy) 15%; Renewable Energy Sources(Ocean Energy) 5%; Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Other oil and gas) 80%;
Research Types	Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields	PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Computer Science and Informatics) 15%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 15%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 70%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator	Professor Y Petillot No email address given School of Engineering and Physical Sciences Heriot-Watt University
Award Type	Standard
Funding Source	EPSRC
Start Date	02 October 2017
End Date	31 March 2022
Duration	53 months
Total Grant Value	£15,223,235
Industrial Sectors	Aerospace; Defence and Marine; Energy; Environment; Information Technologies; R&D; Water
Region	Scotland
Programme	ISCF Robotics
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Professor Y Petillot , School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University (99.975%)
	Other Investigator	Professor P Cawley , Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London (0.001%) Dr F Cegla , Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London (0.001%) Dr M Fallon , Engineering Science, University of Oxford (0.001%) Dr I Havoutis , Engineering Science, University of Oxford (0.001%) Dr V Robu , School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University (0.001%) Dr D Flynn , School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University (0.001%) Dr M Dragone , School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University (0.001%) Dr M Erden , School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University (0.001%) Dr S Wang , School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University (0.001%) Dr K S Lohan , Sch of Mathematical and Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University (0.001%) Dr R Petrick , Sch of Mathematical and Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University (0.001%) Professor HF Hastie , Sch of Mathematical and Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University (0.001%) Professor M Chantler , Sch of Mathematical and Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University (0.001%) Prof DM Ingram , Energy Systems, University of Edinburgh (0.001%) Dr A Kiprakis , Sch of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh (0.001%) Dr A Stokes , Sch of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh (0.001%) Dr M Kovac , Aeronautics, Imperial College London (0.001%) Dr M Mistry , School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham (0.001%) Professor S Vijayakumar , Sch of Informatics, University of Edinburgh (0.001%) Dr TM Hospedales , Sch of Informatics, University of Edinburgh (0.001%) Dr S Ramamoorthy , Sch of Informatics, University of Edinburgh (0.001%) Professor C Williams , Sch of Informatics, University of Edinburgh (0.001%) Professor M Fisher , Computer Scienc, University of Liverpool (0.001%) Dr C Patchett , Engineering (Level 1), University of Liverpool (0.001%) Dr M Jump , Mech, Materials & Aerospace Engineerin, University of Liverpool (0.001%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , SgurrEnergy Limited (0.000%) Project Contact , Schlumberger Cambridge Research Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Lloyd's Register EMEA (0.000%) Project Contact , BP International Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Total E&P UK PLC (0.000%) Project Contact , Scottish Enterprise (SE) (0.000%) Project Contact , ABB Group (International), Switzerland (0.000%) Project Contact , Tenaris S.A. (Luxembourg) (0.000%) Project Contact , Lloyd's Register (0.000%) Project Contact , Chevron North Sea Limited (0.000%) Project Contact , Subsea 7 Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , SeeByte Limited (0.000%) Project Contact , Autonomous Surface Vehicles Limited (0.000%) Project Contact , Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (0.000%) Project Contact , KUKA Robotics UK Limited (0.000%) Project Contact , Hydrason Solutions Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , CENSIS (0.000%) Project Contact , OGIC (Oil and Gas Innovation Centre) (0.000%) Project Contact , Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd, Japan (0.000%) Project Contact , Baker Hughes (Europe) Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Guided Ultrasonics Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , ITF (Industry Technology Facilitator) (0.000%) Project Contact , Permasense Limited (0.000%) Project Contact , SCHUNK Intec Limited (UK) (0.000%) Project Contact , TechnipFMC plc (0.000%) Project Contact , The Data Lab (0.000%) Project Contact , The Oil and Gas Technology Centre Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , The Underwater Centre (UK) (0.000%) Project Contact , SPRINT Robotics Collaborative, The Netherlands (0.000%) Project Contact , Tharsus (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract	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.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	22/02/19