Enzo Wälchli, Chief Commercial Officer at ANYbotics, discusses the explosion-proof ANYmal quadruped robot and its applications in extreme environments. They also talk about the company's expansion and collaboration, and the challenges of autonomous vehicle testing and the self-driving car industry.
ANYbotics' animal robot is designed to operate in extreme environments for inspection tasks in industrial facilities.
The use of autonomous robots brings benefits such as reducing human errors, providing continuous data collection, and enabling predictive maintenance in industrial facilities.
The expansion of robots like ANYbotics' animal robot in complex and high-risk environments, such as offshore oil rigs, can greatly improve efficiency and safety.
Deep dives
The Use of Autonomous Robots in Industrial Facilities
Autonomous robots, such as the animal robot developed by ANYbotics, are being used in various industrial facilities for data gathering and inspections. These robots are equipped with sensors, including visual and thermal cameras, as well as acoustic microphones and 3D point cloud sensors. They can navigate autonomously through facilities, performing tasks like operator rounds, where they check and report on equipment conditions. The robots can also conduct thermal inspections, helping with predictive maintenance by detecting changes in temperature that may indicate potential issues. The gathered data is used to analyze and monitor the facilities, allowing for early detection of problems and efficient maintenance operations.
Benefits and Applications of Autonomous Robots
The use of an autonomous robot like the animal robot brings several benefits to industrial facilities. These robots can take over operator rounds, reducing the time and potential errors associated with human inspections. They provide continuous data collection, allowing for real-time monitoring and early problem detection. The thermal inspection capabilities of these robots are especially valuable, as they can monitor temperature changes in equipment over time, enabling predictive maintenance. These robots also reduce human exposure to risk by entering hazardous areas and providing initial assessments. Additionally, they can collaborate with humans in emergency situations, assisting with the evaluation of potential dangers and ensuring the safety of personnel.
Deploying Robots in Challenging Environments
Autonomous robots have the ability to work in challenging environments, such as offshore oil rigs, where human inspections are costly and time-consuming. Deploying robots like the animal robot on these rigs provides constant monitoring and early detection of issues. The robots can serve as remote scouts, sending data and video feed back to operators onshore, who can make informed decisions. However, there are limitations, as offshore platforms require a specific certification for robots to operate in hazardous environments. ANYbotics' animal robot, with its ATEX certification and mobile capabilities, is well-suited for offshore applications. Expanding the use of robots in such complex and high-risk environments can greatly improve efficiency and safety.
Skydio exits consumer drone business to focus on commercial market
Skydio, a US-based drone company, has announced its withdrawal from the consumer drone market to focus on commercial and enterprise customers. This decision is seen as a sad development for the US domestic consumer drone industry. While the company has not ruled out the possibility of returning to the consumer market in the future, its current focus is on serving the commercial sector.
Enzo Voushly discusses Antibiotics' animal robot and its applications
Enzo Voushly, the Chief Commercial Officer of Antibiotics, a Swiss robotics company, recently spoke about the company's animal robot and its expansion into the North American market. The animal robot is a quadruped designed for heavy industry use and inspection. It is equipped with sensors and motors that make it explosion-proof, allowing it to operate in environments where there is a risk of gas explosions. Enzo also emphasized the value of the robot in industrial inspection, highlighting its mobility and ability to access areas that may be difficult or dangerous for humans to reach. Antibiotics is focused on commercializing the technology and ensuring customer satisfaction.
In this episode, cohost Mike Oitzman sits down with ANYbotics Chief Commercial Officer Enzo Wälchli to learn all about the swiss designed quadruped robot. The ANYmal is designed to be explosion-proof and operate in extreme environments including inspection tasks for oil and gas processing facilities, offshore oil rigs, processing plants, manufacturing facilities and anywhere else that require a nimble mobile platform to operate.
ANYbotics is expanding into North America, and Wälchli discusses how the company is approaching this expansion and building its distribution and support network. The company has been selling solutions in Europe since the launch of ANYmal in 2019. The company spun out of ETH Zurich in 2016.
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