The SPRINT Robotics Action Groups defined are four areas that have the highest priority for improvement within the Inspection and Maintenance domain, as defined by the SPRINT Program Committee (asset owners/operators) and reflected in the SPRINT Robotics Strategic Roadmap.
The Action Groups focus on tangible results and an accelerated yet responsible adoption of robotic technologies. Each Action Group is led by an end user; members are from the whole value chain, including a.o. end users, service providers and technology providers. There are four SPRINT Robotics Action Groups: Storage Tanks, Pressure Vessels, Remote Operators and Process Piping.
In 2020, the Task Force Cleaning & Fabric Maintenance was launched on behalf of several subject matter experts from major oil & gas and petrochemical companies to accelerate the development and utilization of Cleaning & Fabric Maintenance.
AGST Coordinator: Mathijs Kossen (Vopak)
The AGST group is a vibrant group that allows to easily get in touch and stay up to date on developments at asset owners, robotic developers and service suppliers.
We publish and maintain application guides for major developments such as in-service tank inspection robots and provide input for the general SPRINT Robotics Roadmap. Internally we share experiences from deployments to quickly learn how the market as a whole can speed up robotic deployments. We also initiate industry projects for validation of new types of robotic (inspections).
AGPP Coordinator: Filippo Tabaccanti (Nobian)
Collaboration across the value chain is essential for the success of robotic technologies, especially due to the complex nature of process piping in terms of materials and morphology. The pragmatic approach of the SPRINT Robotics action groups means we can speed up the process from use case identification to industry-wide adoption.
The AGPP provided valuable input for the strategic roadmap in terms of addressing common challenges for the inspection of process piping. Group members also kickstarted an AI initiative to develop an algorithm facilitating the rapid detection of corrosion.
AGRO Coordinator: Ted Manning (BP)
The intrinsic value of the action group stems from both the participation of the members and the support and resources of the SPRINT Robotics team. A curated source of use cases, knowledge sharing, and technology roadmapping in the action group will enable and accelerate the uptake of robotic solutions.
AGPV Coordinator: Mauricio Calva (Chevron)
The out-of-service guidelines are being utilized by our Collaborative. The complement, our technology landscape document, is currently underway and will be the second half of the comprehensive pressure vessel inspection guidelines. To help further identify value for robotic consideration, the comparison report for manual man-entry methods versus robotic systems is also being circulated for comment. Together these three documents will become the foundation for robotic systems as they are applied to pressure vessels today and in the future.
Task Force Cleaning & Fabric Maintenance
In 2020, the Task Force Cleaning & Fabric Maintenance was launched on behalf of several subject matter experts from major oil & gas and petrochemical companies to accelerate the development and utilization of Cleaning & Fabric Maintenance. Their first initiative was the CFM Challenge: five challenge categories, with one winning solution provider to receive $50,000 and the opportunity to further develop the solution.
Task Force Funding
Funding is essential for acceleration within the I&M Robotics domain. We look to establish innovative ways to support collaborative industry initiatives within SPRINT Robotics. In looking towards the future, we want to ensure that I&M Robotics is a recognized application area for government and private funding.
