Plant Disaster
Challenge

Inspection or emergency response to abnormalities at
plants with commands from digital twin

Outline

Aiming to construct "Plant Robot Digital-twin System*1",
introducing digital twin into emergency response and
inspection to abnormalities at deteriorated plants
*1 See details on rulebook (released later)

Task

Mission P1 Inspection/Adjustment

The robot inspects facilities following the command from digital twin. It reads numerical values displaying on meters like pressure gauges automatically and reports them to digital twin. Then the robot open/close the valve as specified by digital twin.

Challenges

- Mobility and control in confined space

- Inspection with visual obstacles like smoke or vapor

Mission P2 Fault (Abnormality) detection

During inspection of plant facilities, the robot detects an abnormality and report it quickly. Then, following the command of digital twin, the robot responds to the abnormality promptly to prevent accidents.

Challenges

- Fault detection and emergency response with visual obstacles like smoke or vapor

- Real-time adaption to the unforeseen and fluid environment

Mission P3 Diagnosis: Tank

The robot finds some abnormalities (cracks or metal loss) due to aging/deterioration on the wall of large tank. The robot reports the results of inspection for designated area to digital twin.

Challenges

- Evaluation of health of large-scale structure under wind and rain

- Accuracy of information about fault

Mission P4 Accident response: Remove Debris/Valve control

An explosion has occurred in the boiler. To respond to the accident, the digital twin has ordered the robot to survey the damage and remove the scattered debris to the designated area. Furthermore, due to the danger of gas leakage, we will close valves as instructed by the the digital twin and report the work to the digital twin.

Challenges

- Real-time adaption to contingent and fluid environment

- Rubble removal with communication fault (delay or shutdown)

Mission P5 Emergency response

This competition features emergency accident response by robots. An abnormality in the operating state or an accident occurs during investigation and inspection by inspection work instructions provided by the digital twin. To respond to the emergency, the robot will quickly collect information on the damage in the plant after the accident and report it to the digital twin, perform the work instructed by the digital twin, implement the emergency response, and report the details of the work to the digital twin.

Challenges

- Real-time adaption to the unforeseen and fluid environment

- Investigation with visual obstacles like smoke or vapor

- Emergency response with communication fault (delay or shutdown)