SPRINT Robotics Roadmap 2021

SPRINT Robotics Roadmap 2021 

The SPRINT Robotics Roadmap is a technology roadmap that defines technology milestones that map on a sequence of ever more complex use cases for inspection, maintenance and repair. The SPRINT Robotics Roadmap 2021 is the fourth edition of the roadmap and has been updated with two new sections: Renewable Energy and Cleaning and Fabric Maintenance. In addition, the Remote Operator appendix has been expanded, including general visions regarding remote operation robots and use cases.  

The SPRINT Robotics Roadmap 2021 contains three main sections:  

• Chapter 0: the roadmap in concise form, for those who want a quick overview of the most important roadmapping statements and results, supplemented with two case studies; 

• Chapter 1 – 3: the main roadmap document, containing the general roadmap for the petrochemical industry;  
• Appendices:  

• Appendix A: an overview of Renewable Energy, its relevant inspection requirements and the opportunities for robotics;  
• Appendix B – Appendix E: four detailed roadmaps, each of which focuses on one of the high priority application areas, as decided by the SPRINT Robotics Program Committee: Aboveground Storage Tanks, Pressure Vessels, Process Piping, Remote Operation;  
• Appendix F: an overview of robotics for Cleaning and Fabric Maintenance, overarching the application areas.  

The SPRINT Robotics Roadmap serves to: 

• Identify technology improvements that will progress the use of the technology; 
• Translate the technology improvements to common goals; 
• Align the industry on goals and priorities; 

• Share knowledge and insight with contributing parties from the entire value chain; 
• Enable innovators, technologists and researchers to effectively and structurally contribute to the solution of problems relevant to the petrochemical industry; 
• Assist end users (asset owners) to adapt their (operational) procedures for the uptake of such new technologies; 
• Inform policy makers about the changing landscape, to which they can respond. 

This roadmap can (and should) be used by: 

• Knowledge institutes, to identify potential use of their developed knowledge and to identify high-potential areas for new or extended research; 
• Robot developers, to identify potential use of their developed robots and to identify high-potential areas for new or extended robot development; 
• Inspection equipment suppliers, to identify novel uses of their existing equipment and to identify high-potential new developments; 
• System integrators, to identify new uses of their existing equipment and to identify high-potential new developments; 

• Service providers, to identify new high-potential services or implementations thereof; 
• End users, to seek mutual alignment of their mid and long term goals, their priorities and the paths leading to the goals; 
• All parties in the value chain, to serve as a basis for providing input and insight, e.g. via the SPRINT Robotics platform; 
• Policymakers, as a reference for the development and steering of new policies. 

The SPRINT Robotics Roadmap is by nature a work in progress. It will be updated periodically to reflect the current state of development and insight. Please make sure to use the most recent version, which will always be available on the SPRINT Robotics website. 

Copyright Disclaimer: 

This document may be printed and distributed in its entirety but no part may be reproduced or used for commercial purposes without the permission of SPRINT Robotics. Proper referencing and acknowledgement should be made when distributing and sharing content of this document.