25/9/20
Researchers from the ORCA (Offshore Robotics for the Certification of Assets) Hub, a consortium of five universities led by Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh universities, have unveiled a new method of communication that allows machines and humans to speak the same language and understand each other’s actions in real time.
Named MIRIAM (Multimodal Intelligent inteRactIon for Autonomous systeMs), the new method of communication is a significant breakthrough that enables people to work with autonomous robots. It allows users to ask robots questions, understand their actions and receive mission status through a digital twin1. MIRIAM uses natural language, allowing users to speak or text queries and receive clear explanations about the robot’s behaviour in an intuitive way.
By improving how robots communicate, MIRIAM will help to build the confidence of those who will be using them and overcome any adoption barriers in the workplace.
MIRIAM will be used by a new collaborative team that sees Heriot-Watt University, through the ORCA Hub, working and integrating its research with the expertise of Phusion, an engineering software firm and Merkle Aquila, a data science firm. They are the latest additions to global energy partner Total’s multimillion-pound research consortium that is working to develop autonomous capabilities with multiple robotic systems for work on offshore energy installations. MIRIAM will initially work with a tracked robot that will be deployed at Total’s Shetland Gas Plant.
Kris Kydd, Head of Robotics at Total E&P UK said:
“Total believes that robots have a huge amount to offer our industry. We are pioneering their use on oil and gas sites and this collaboration is helping us to make significant progress. This announcement is the first important step towards making the actions of autonomous robots clear and understandable, and this will allow them to gain the confidence of the wider workforce. Robots offer immediate advantages such as increased safety and efficiency. In the long-term, they offer us new ways of working and are limited only by our imagination.”
Helen Hastie is a professor of computer science at Heriot-Watt University and an ORCA work package lead. She explains:
“When robots have an autonomous element, it means that they sense the environment and can make certain decisions by themselves. However, there is currently a communication barrier between robots and their human supervisors in relation to the reasoning behind system actions. This is particularly problematic in remote, highly challenging, and hazardous environments such as offshore, which can involve multiple vehicles and platforms.
“This lack of transparency can lead to a reduction in situation awareness and therefore user-confidence in the robots, hindering the human-robotic team and resulting in unnecessary aborts or laborious manual manipulation of the robot. It is therefore essential that a supervisor understands what the robot is doing and why.
“MIRIAM’s technology is designed to provide invaluable transparency in this process. Our team of researchers have taken a user-centred design approach, which supports Total’s forward-thinking efforts to making operations safer offshore. We have also modified MIRIAM to the specifics of Total’s robotics programme.”
MIRIAM will allow humans to communicate with this digital twin, and the data held in it, including the robot, via text or speech. This means supervisors can ask where the robot is going, what it plans to do next and why, and query data it has gathered during its missions.
Steve Pearson, Chairman of Phusion IM, said:
“This ground-breaking project demonstrates the importance of high-quality, accessible engineering data as an enabler of digital transformation. Through our Master Data Model [digital twin] developed for Total, the robots are able to develop capabilities through machine learning and deliver the ultimate benefits of efficiency and operational improvements alongside workforce safety.”
Merkle Aquila is the industrial data science, data engineering and agile delivery collaborative partner. The company has been working with the team to develop solutions using AI to extract maximum value from robotic image data and demonstrate the automation of manual human inspection using computer vision algorithms.
Sean Robertson, Total Client Director from Merkle Aquila, said:
“We have been able to develop working solutions quickly using agile delivery methods, algorithms developed on the Microsoft cloud, tactical data collection and close team collaboration. We have demonstrated leading innovation in tackling these barriers to develop a robust and adaptable solution.”
The project will be used by the original OGRIP (Offshore Ground Robotics Industrial Pilot) robot developed by Total E&P UK, Austrian tech firm Taurob and the Aberdeen-based Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC). OGRIP is designed to support exploration and production operations in increasingly harsh and challenging conditions, including extreme cold, arid climates and isolated locations.
ENDS
For more information, please contact Annie Pugh, a.pugh@hw.ac.uk, 07939 153 649
1 A digital twin is a digital replica of an actual physical asset using real-time data that allows for the optimisation of the asset.
About the ORCA Hub: The largest academic centre in the world for research into robotics technology for offshore energy infrastructure, the ORCA Hub’s aim is to advance robotics and Artificial Intelligence technologies for the inspection, repair, maintenance and certification of offshore energy platforms and assets.
The ORCA Hub is led by the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, a partnership between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh. The consortium also includes Imperial College London, the University of Oxford and the University of Liverpool. https://orcahub.org @ORCA_Hub
About Phusion IM: Phusion IM provides engineering software and services that put information at the heart of business. Its customers reduce their costs and increase productivity by making sense of the information they have. This is achieved by providing secure, easy access to engineering data through software, hosting, consultancy, services and content.
It delivers its suite of engineering information software, app-based mobile solutions and consultancy services to support its customers with systems implementation and optimisation, compatibility with legacy systems, strategic consultancy, IM handover, materials management, engineering information management and compliance.
The company has more than 25 years of experience in delivering IM to some of the world’s largest organisations, including, Chevron’s Gorgon and Inpex’s Ichthys projects, which were two of the largest energy projects. www.phusionim.com
About Merkle Aquila: Merkle Aquila is the UK data science function of the global, award-winning agency Merkle. We have one of the largest data science teams in the UK with over 130 data scientists and data engineers. We believe in ‘Analytics that Matter’ delivering increased business value and improved decisions through insights and data. www.aquilainsight.com
About Total: Total is a major energy player that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and low-carbon electricity. Its 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, more affordable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, the company’s ambition is to become the responsible energy major. www.total.co.uk