Successful Remote trial of ExR-1 robot
ExRobotics and Shell prove that the ExR-1 robot can be controlled by an operator located over 9,500 km away.
ExRobotics and Shell prove that the ExR-1 robot can be controlled by an operator located over 9,500 km away.
On March 14th, 2018, The Ex-R-1 robot produced by ExRobotics in the Netherlands was remotely controlled from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mr. Berry Mulder Leader of Robotics Centre of Excellence at Shell, drove the ExR-1 robot located at ExRobotics’ facility in the Netherlands from his location in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This test was part of Shell Sensabot program.
The ExR-1 robots are designed to be deployed at NAM’s gas assets around the Netherlands. NAM is a Dutch joint venture between Shell and ExonMobil whose core business is exploring for and producing oil and gas, both onshore and offshore, in the Netherlands.
The robots are designed to be driven from three central control rooms, each located no more than a few hundred kilometers from each robot. This allows NAM to remotely carry out its remote facility checks while reducing road-safety exposure and the related costs.
To control the robot, Mr Mulder used a gamepad console and the images from the robot’s cameras were displayed on his computer screen. The robot and computer were connected using Shell’s Guest-wifi in Rio and over the public 4G-LTE telecommunications network in NL. Mr Mulder said “I could drive it smoothly, all the way from Rio. Latency was between 350 and 400 ms, quite stable, and the video streamed perfectly. I could fine tune the robot’s position to peek through a nitrogen plant’s fence”.
The “Rio trial” emphasizes the practicality of this solution and the excellent cooperation between Shell and ExRobotics.
About ExRobotics B.V.
ExRobotics is a leading international company specialized in robotic solutions for potentially explosive facilities. It produces Ex-certified robots (ATEX and IECEx Zone 1) that can remotely carry out otherwise potentially hazardous safety checks at remote facilities.
For more information, please contact Samir El Awadi, director ExRobotics
Email: samir.elawadi@exrobotics.global Tel.: +31 88 550 4300
