Seadrill has announced the introduction of Vision IQ for offshore drilling rigs, a next-generation AI-enabled safety technology, which monitors and provides advanced warning of potential risks in the Red Zone. The Red Zone is the area of the rig floor where heavy drilling equipment operates and the risk of injury is highest. Seadrill plans to make the technology behind Vision IQ available to peers as part of its commitment to driving safety in the industry.
Vision IQ was piloted on a Seadrill drilling rig under contract in offshore US Gulf of Mexico with an international oil company.
Vision IQ possesses an automated safety process to identify offshore workers in the Red Zone and eliminate human error.
Vision IQ is a non-exclusive solution developed by the Marsden Group, a leading global technology company, in conjunction with Seadrill.
Vision IQ combines artificial intelligence (AI), laser imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR) and advanced edge computing technology to ensure safer and more efficient operations in the Red Zone for all Seadrill’s offshore rigs and drillships. Comparable to the use in autonomous vehicles, LiDAR technology surrounds the Red Zone of the rig to create a dynamically monitored environment, while Vision IQ’s advanced AI technology allows real-time monitoring of the Red Zone using 3D visualizations.
This holistic view enables users to pinpoint the exact position of crew members on the rig floor in relation to moving heavy equipment and provide advanced warning of potential hazards, thereby limiting scope for human error. Vision IQ is precisely engineered for offshore drilling and can be integrated into the rig’s anti-collision system (ACS), creating a more unified, seamless approach to safety.
The introduction of Vision IQ is a significant step forward in improving offshore worker’s safety. For this reason, Seadrill has committed to voluntarily share the technology behind Vision IQ with its peers in the industry. The importance of Vision IQ in revolutionizing the industry cannot be understated.
“The introduction of Vision IQ is a major advancement in ensuring worker safety and improving the environment for our offshore crews,” Anton Dibowitz, CEO of Seadrill, said. “The safety of our people and our operation is fundamental, it is the cornerstone of our business. Vision IQ will help transform Red Zone Management.”
“We have committed to sharing this technology with the wider industry as it is the right thing to do, given the significant safety benefit it provides,” Mr Dibowitz added. “Vision IQ also supports Seadrill’s sustainable business approach, as safety is at the heart of our culture and will deliver a safer operation for our customers.”
High-Level Overview
Vision IQ uses a combination of LiDAR, advanced vision processing and integrated high-powered edge computing to offer a method of identifying and predicting movements of people and equipment in complex industrial environments.
This activity-aware intelligent safety technology has the ability to create dynamic zones that can be controlled in real time with 3D visualizations from an interactive touchscreen or tablet. Users are able to review, and playback recorded footage immediately after the event from any location.
Vision IQ also offers performance analysis, empowering our partners to keep their personnel safer than ever before as well as increasing operational efficiencies.
All with easy installation and no requirement for personnel to wear specific devices or identification.
Key Industry Challenges
- Where the drilling package is manual or semi-automated, personnel are required to enter Red Zones to carry out essential operations. The majority of incidents occur when the personnel entering are unfamiliar with the area.
- Many organizations have suffered major accidents despite having clear corporate policies combined with good risk mitigation processes and systems.
- Application in the real operating environment can often be lacking. Existing solutions can’t be consistently relied upon to stop moving equipment if needed or to warn about potential hazards.
Following extensive R&D and offshore trials of Vision IQ in real-world environments, both on the drill floor and in crane operations. The solution is fully operational on one of Seadrill’s largest rigs and is now in the process of being rolled out across twelve of Seadrill’s fleet, including drillships, semi-subs and jack-ups.
Through the application of LiDAR technology, high resolution, three-dimensional information about the surrounding environment is provided so that personnel entering Seadrill Red Zones are immediately located whilst non-stationary objects are simultaneously detected in real time. The technology tracks their movements and assesses their speed along with the route on which they are traveling in relation to risks and acts when required. For example, stopping a pipe handling machine if a person is in its path of movement.
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