Summary
Aker Solutions, in partnership with Aker BP and Cognite, has completed an offshore robotics pilot, marking an important step toward remote operations of the future Yggdrasil area.
The Challenge
Aker BP and Aker Solutions faced the challenge of testing how autonomous ground robots could safely perform inspections and transmit real-time data to onshore experts and operators.
The Solution
The project demonstrated successful remote control and autonomous inspection offshore using the Taurob Inspector, an ATEX Zone 1-certified robot designed for hazardous environments, temporarily deployed on the Edvard Grieg platform.
- Aker Solutions led the project as integrator and Robot As A Service (RAAS) supplier, overseeing hardware integration, system compatibility, and overall delivery.
- Cognite enabled real-time contextualization and remote data access through the Cognite Industrial AI and Data Platform, including Cognite Data Fusion®, which unified inspection data with operational context from the Edvard Grieg platform.
The pilot began at the Robot Garden in Fornebu, where offshore inspection scenarios were simulated before deployment. Following successful validation, the robot was mobilized to Aker BP’s Edvard Grieg platform, where it completed multiple autonomous and remotely operated inspection rounds—capturing high-resolution imagery, temperature readings, and gas measurements.
The Impact
The pilot confirmed the robot’s ability to perform safely on a live offshore asset, delivering quality data to operators and onshore teams.
Key benefits include:
- Remote Operations: Verified remote teleoperation and autonomous inspection workflows.
- Predictive Maintenance: Contextualized data in Cognite Data Fusion, which in the future can enhance early fault detection and reduce downtime risk.
- Operational Efficiency: Demonstrated potential for onshore remote operation.
“The project delivered operational benefits, contributing to verifying the robot’s ability to operate on a live asset while providing quality data to operators and onshore experts. This is a significant step towards remote inspection and operation, which in the future will be a key part of the Yggdrasil operations strategy.” — Anja Dyb, SVP Life Cycle Services, Aker Solutions.
“Through Yggdrasil, Aker BP is setting a new standard with remote-controlled operations, low-manned and unmanned installations, and new ways of working. Robotics is an essential part of this strategy. Robots will be working together with our operators on the area centre Hugin A, both when the platform is manned but also when we some years into operations are planning for unmanned periods. New technology is going through an extensive qualification process to be approved, and we use other assets in Aker BP, like Edvard Grieg, to test in the years leading up to production start-up in 2027.” — Kristian Bay Næss, VP Operations Yggdrasil, Aker BP.
Together, Aker Solutions, Aker BP, and Cognite are proving how Industrial AI, robotics, and data integration can redefine offshore work, paving the way for safer, smarter, and more autonomous operations in the North Sea.