Northern Lights' guard dog doesnât have eyes, ears, a nose and fur. Instead, it has LIDAR, microphones, cameras and advanced sensors. Training it, however, isnât all that different from working with a real dog, according to the robot trainer Svein Ivar.
Northern Lights is the worldâs first international COâ transport and storage facility. For much of the time, it operates without staff on site.
This is where robot dogs like Roberta come in. They help collect data, carry out inspections and keep a watchful eye on the facility.
Before Roberta is allowed to roam freely, she needs plenty of training and rewards. Fortunately, training a robot dog is not so far removed from working with a living one, says Svein Ivar.
Curious about the similarities? Watch the video below or read on!
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Dante is a 12-year-old springer spaniel who enjoys three walks a day, is cherished as âthe familyâs best friendâ and is a model of good behaviour. But when Svein Ivar first brought Dante home 12 years ago, he wasnât quite so well-mannered. It took years and countless walks before Dante was fully trained. The same goes for a robot dog.
When we receive a robot, it comes with a certified, tested and quality-assured âbrainâ that knows all the basics. But we still have to train it at our site: teaching it the layout, showing it safe routes, letting it know where itâs allowed to go and what it should inspect.
Svein Ivar
Robot trainer
The robot is first connected to a digital twin of the facility, taking its initial test runs virtually before being tested in the real environment. The most important part, though, is training the team who will use the robot.
âThe robot is just a tool, albeit a highly sophisticated one, that helps our operators work more safely and efficiently,â Svein Ivar says.Â
Roberta the robot at Northern Lights.
Photo: Torstein Lund Eik / ŠEquinor
A dog with a desk job
Danteâs lucky enough not to have a fixed desk, but Roberta will be the âguard dogâ at Northern Lightsâa site usually run remotely from the nearby Sture control room.
Operators there can send Roberta out to inspect or investigate whenever needed.
âRobertaâs advanced sensors give us a clearer picture than human eyes alone. She even has a gas detector on her back to measure levels that could be harmful to people, picking up dangers faster than other sensors,â Svein Ivar says.
âSafety and uptime are crucial at our facilities, and robots are set to play an increasingly important role in making work safer and more effective,â he adds.
Roberta has learned to navigate independently through advanced artificial intelligence, including reinforced learning and systematic training.
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Not here to replace people
Robertaâs âbrainâ is certified, tested and quality assured before further training begins out in the field. She also interfaces with a digital twin, so her learning can happen both virtually and on site.
The robot is a tool designed to help workers stay safe and work more efficiently, but in the end thatâs all it is. A tool for those involved in operations.
Svein Ivar
To get the most out of Roberta, we train both the robot and the staff whoâll use her. Testing is carried out in close collaboration between the robot team and the operations team at Northern Lights.Â
The aim is always to expand the robotâs capabilities and find new ways to make work safer and more efficient. Looking ahead, Svein Ivar and the team envision even more intelligent solutions, especially when it comes to planning missions.
The goal is for the robot not only to patrol, but also to detect faults and plan tasks independently, through reinforced learning.
âThis way, the robot will help us continually improve operations, while human skills and experience remain at the core,â Svein Ivar explains.
Roberta offers a glimpse into a future where technology and people work more closely together than ever before.
Weâre not aiming to replace real people, but to do things differently and better by using the robot as a smart tool.
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