How robots like ANYbotics' Roberta are improving industry inspection

The article discusses how ANYbotics’ robotic platform, exemplified by their robot Roberta, is transforming industrial inspection by enhancing autonomy, safety, and sustainability in heavy industries such as oil, gas, and chemical sectors. Founded in 2016 by Dr. Péter Fankhauser and his team, ANYbotics aims to move robotics from research labs into real-world applications, addressing the need for remote monitoring in hazardous environments. Roberta is deployed at Equinor’s Northern Lights carbon-storage terminal, where it autonomously conducts regular inspections, including CO₂ level monitoring and perimeter surveys, reducing the need for on-site personnel and improving asset integrity. Roberta’s operations are integrated with a digital twin of the facility, enabling pre-planned missions that are supervised and triggered remotely via cloud-based platforms. This system allows for virtual rehearsal of routes and failure scenarios, ensuring the robot’s on-site behavior aligns with expectations. The robot collects multi-sensor data (visual, thermal, acoustic, gas), which