Mobility
ExRobotics B.V. today launched the UL-certified ExR-2.5 autonomous inspection robot in North America at the Energy Drone & Robotics Summit in Houston. The robot is designed to address mounting pressures in oil and gas operations, including aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, and the high cost of unplanned downtime.
Oil and gas operators face a shortage of up to 40,000 skilled workers globally this year, with 62% of Gen Z and Millennials viewing oil and gas careers as unappealing, according to ExRobotics. Unplanned downtime costs the world’s largest industrial companies an estimated 11% of total revenue, and just 3.5 days of downtime can generate over $5 million in losses for a midsize facility. The ExR-2.5 aims to reduce personnel exposure to hazardous environments while delivering better data and boosting productivity.
Mark Mildon, CEO of ExRobotics, stated: “The inspection challenges facing oil and gas operators are intensifying — skilled labor is harder to find, assets are aging, and the cost of failure is rising fast. We build rugged, reliable Ex-certified inspection robots because this is not a side capability for us; it’s our sole focus.” He added that with thousands of robotic missions completed for operators like Shell, Repsol, and BP, the ExR-2.5 shows that autonomous inspection has moved beyond pilot projects into real industrial operations.
Source: The Robot Report