【Overview】

Throughout the country, more than 2000 oil plant facilities have working environment with many explosive substances such as volatile oil and hydrogen. Some places fill the environment with nitrogen, creating an oxygen-free environment to prevent explosion. In particular, the desulfurization reaction furnace, in addition to the above conditions, is a bad environment where dust can accumulate.
Therefore, work inside the plant is done in harsh conditions and present life-threatening dangers. In order to prevent workers from facing dangerous/bitter work conditions, an unmanned working robot is needed.

In order to let the robot work automatically in this dangerous environment, we have developped a software linked to a sensor that can distinguish objects 3 meters ahead even in very dusty conditions. This is the first explosion-proof autonomous mobile robot for refinery developped in Japan.

【Technology 1】 Manufacture of robot being explosion proof

We designed the body, the mobile structure, the driving device to fit the mobile part shape, the control device receiving the command from the embedded software and the sensor storage box.

A standard robot can not be used in an environment filled with flammable gas that can explode due to possible sparks. The robot we made is designed to not cause explosion (internal pressure explosion-proof structure).

【Technology 2】 Three-dimensional sensing technology under dusty environment

In a reaction furnace in which dust accumulate (reduced visibility), automatic motion and remote operation of the mobile robot is realized by:

1. Retrieving robot position by measuring a LED light source with a stereo camera.
2. Measurement of the robot environment with a TOF camera.

【Explosion proof consultation】

We provide consultation and application consultation for equipment such as robots and sensors that requires explosion proof testing.

※Another of our robot has been certified by the Technology Institute of Industrial Security (TIIS).

This robot has been introduced to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.