Facilitation: Bringing scientists and engineers together to create understanding & alignment on innovative technologies

Bringing complex technology together to develop a “maintenance robot”, Concentric Consulting supported BG in a landmark project that would improve safety and unlock new efficiency in maintenance.

Brief

Developing a safer alternative for high-risk maintenance operations

Much of BG’s maintenance and inspection activity takes place where humans can’t go – and, if they do, safety demands that operations be interrupted. Following early discussions with the German Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and the Brazilian Institute of Robots (BIR), BG turned too Concentric to bring the parties together to develop a research program to deliver robotic maintenance vehicles.

This would be an extensive process of understanding the technology involved, exploring the scale of the opportunity, how it could shift inspection processes, and how robotics could help the wider BG Groups maintenance community.

Delivery

Designing and delivering critical alignment sessions and facilitating demonstrations

BG’s initial sessions with DFKI and BIR would define a scope for the development of the technology, in a clearly planned timeframe with agreed actions and owners. This required the support of a team that understood both the technical demands of such an innovative project and the necessity for a positive, stimulating, and creative forum for discussion.

Concentric met with the two technical parties to coordinate presentational material and include demonstrations in the session design. The session would cover a wide range of areas, including for Day One:

• Technical presentations of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and pipeline crawlers for maintenance and repair
• Nano-micro robotics: the miniaturisation of robotic devices injected into pipelines to collect data
• 3D Computer Tomography to produce 3D, cross-sectional images of objects from flat x-ray images

The intent of Day Two was to allow the delegates time to experience new technologies to “unlock their minds”. The delegates then had an opportunity to brainstorm possible technology development ideas which the team titled Project Scenarios.

On Day Three, the team took their top 12 Project Scenario ideas and then discussed with the robotics’ team how likely it would be to make them a reality.

Outcomes

A robust plan for the robotic Flatfish Project

After a successful session and demonstrations, BG and its technical partners were aligned around the same vision and equipped with a detailed two and four-year plan.

With Concentric’s help, stakeholders left the session with:

• Commercial terms
• An agreed Mission Statement
• Key milestones
• A defined governance structure
• Functional specification
• Scope of services

“A great level of detail was analysed to identify a solution, build the long term roadmap and to ensure checks, balances and decision gates are in place.”

“This was good fun technically innovating with good requirements established and solutions identified!”