INVESTIGATING USES OF NEW ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGY

February 24, 2010

Aramco Overseas Company (AOC) is involved in continuous research into new technology that will enhance the way Saudi Aramco searches, extracts, processes and delivers energy. In line with this strategy, Dr. Saad Alkhateib, AOC Tokyo’s Business Manager of Research and Technology, recently attended ROBOTECH 2010 with the aim of discovering potential partners to collaborate in the field of robotics.

Held at Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center, ROBOTECH is an annual conference that focuses on robot fabrication techniques. This year Dr. Alkhateib successfully identified several potential industries that could benefit AOC.

ROBOTICS IN SEVERE CONDITIONS

One such company was HiBot Corp., a business that provides the latest technology for automation, industrial applications, robotics research, search and rescue missions, remote inspection, surveillance and more. Technical consultant for HiBot Corp., Dr. Michele Guarnieri, demonstrated the ACM-R5, a rigid snake-like robotic structure that allows operation under severe conditions. It is composed of several modules with small wheels that allow the robot to move smoothly on a variety of surfaces, even in underwater environments.

A wireless camera is mounted via a special mechanism on the front unit, which ensures the view orientation is always horizontal. The prototype is directed at inspection and search operations in underwater environments.

Whilst discussions are at a very early stage, investigating the potential applications of the new robotics technology is a very exciting process for AOC.