{"id":577546,"date":"2024-01-21T08:30:03","date_gmt":"2024-01-21T13:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/?p=577546"},"modified":"2024-01-20T18:25:30","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T23:25:30","slug":"gecko-robotics-rho-impact-study-how-robots-ai-could-improve-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/gecko-robotics-rho-impact-study-how-robots-ai-could-improve-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"Gecko Robotics, Rho Impact study how robots and AI could improve sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Pipeline

Robotics, data, and AI promise to help both sustainability and profitability. Source: Gecko Robotics<\/p><\/div>\n

Robots and artificial intelligence have a significant role to play in maintaining crumbling infrastructure — and they could help bring about a zero-carbon economy while they\u2019re at it.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the conclusion of a new report by Gecko Robotics and Rho Impact<\/a>, which studied how these technologies could reduce the environmental impact of critical infrastructure by bringing them into the digital world.<\/p>\n

The potential is massive: The report claimed that digitizing carbon-intensive infrastructure could reduce emissions by a whopping 853 million metric tons (MMT) of CO2<\/sub> annually. This is the equivalent of taking almost two thirds of gas-powered vehicles in the U.S. off the road, according to Gecko Robotics and Rho Impact.<\/p>\n

Gecko identifies five areas for digital transformation<\/h2>\n

The report looked at five different sectors to demonstrate how digital transformation technologies could help create efficiencies and reduce emissions.<\/p>\n

Oil and gas pipelines<\/strong>: Using robots for early detection of corrosion and other damage on components could reduce fugitive emissions, the unintended discharge of gases. AI-powered preventative maintenance programs can help avoid pipeline failure, resulting in a possible 556 MMT CO2<\/sub>e reduction in fugitive emissions, according to the companies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pulp and paper industry<\/strong>: Digitizing physical assets in this industry could help prevent corrosion of components. Robotics can be used to identify and address corrosion in paper mill tanks and pressure vessels, and AI can be used to make paper mill boiler operations more efficient.<\/p>\n

Not only could digitalization reduce annual emissions by 46 MMT CO2<\/sub>e, per the report, but it could also result in a 6% improvement in emissions efficiency.<\/p>\n

Maritime transportation<\/strong>: Digitalization could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by optimizing loads and detecting leaks on large ships, which can be up to 70% more efficient than smaller ones.<\/p>\n

The report suggested that robots could inspect these large vessels more efficiently, reducing their time in the repair dock. Shippers could deploy AI to optimize loads. As a result, 11 MMT of CO2<\/sub>e emissions could be prevented by making the most efficient vessels more available.<\/p>\n

Bridge infrastructure<\/strong>: Deploying robots to collect inspection and maintenance data, and using AI to analyze it and predict outcomes, could help reduce the time bridges are partially or fully closed for maintenance and repair, said Gecko Robotics and Rho Impact<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Digitalizing the inspection process would generate better data on bridges and could help reduce traffic-related emissions by 10 MMT CO2<\/sub>e, the report claimed.<\/p>\n