Ex-Proof Oil & Gas Inspection Robot

Why operators buy this

The three costs of manual rounds in classified areas

HSE exposure

Every manual round in a Zone 1 or Zone 2 area carries ignition, gas-exposure and fall risk. One incident is a reportable event; a serious one can shut a site down.

Late detection

Gauges read on a schedule miss what happens between rounds — a slow leak, a hot bearing, a valve that starts weeping at 2 a.m. Detection is only as good as the round frequency.

Manpower squeeze

Refineries run 24/7. Three shifts of trained technicians for routine rounds is expensive, hard to staff, and exactly the work automation removes fastest.

A robot built around your site’s hazard classification

ATEX / IECEx configurations for Zone 1 and Zone 2 duty — the robot is specified against your site’s area classification, not offered as a blanket “safe” claim.
Multi-gas detection — LEL (combustible), O₂, H₂S and optional CO / NO₂ channels, with live telemetry and alarm geolocation on your map view.
Dual-spectrum thermal + visible imaging — catches hot spots on flanges, heat exchangers and electrical cabinets before they become failures.
Autonomous scheduled rounds — cover the same route your technician walks, on a schedule you set, in rain, heat and dust, with auto-dock charging.
Two-way audio & video — remote operators see and speak through the robot, turning a round into a live attended inspection when needed.
GPS-denied SLAM navigation — works under pipe racks, inside compressor buildings and in steel-dense process areas where GNSS is unavailable.

Confined-space & hazardous-area patrols

Wheeled-leg inspection robot patrolling a refinery tank farm and process units

Wheeled-leg robot patrolling tank farms and process units in a petrochemical complex

Typical configuration

Reference specification — adapted to your site

Specifications below are typical for an oil & gas inspection system. Final values depend on platform selection, hazard classification and payload mix.

Hazard-area compliance	ATEX / IECEx configurations available for Zone 1 and Zone 2 duty (certification scope confirmed per site and per configuration)
Gas detection	LEL (catalytic), O₂, H₂S standard; CO, NO₂, CH₄ channels optional
Imaging	Visible 4K + radiometric thermal (e.g. 640×512); dual-spectrum fusion view
Navigation	3D LiDAR SLAM, GPS-denied capable; route editor with waypoint-based patrols
Runtime / charging	Platform-dependent; auto-dock charging station; optional long-endurance packs matched to your route length
Ingress protection	IP67 typical (config-dependent)
Payload capacity	Up to 15 kg for sensors, speakers, lights and comms
Software interface	ROS 2 + Python SDK, REST API, dashboard with live map, alarms and report export
Integration	Outputs compatible with your CMMS / historian; alarm webhooks to your systems

Certification note: Explosion-proof certification is configuration- and jurisdiction-specific. We engineer the system to your site’s area classification and support certification with the relevant notified body for your region — this is scoped in the feasibility assessment, not glossed over.

Deployment blueprint

How an oil & gas deployment typically looks

A reference shape for a quadruped inspection rollout in oil & gas. Every system is re-scoped to your site — this is the typical starting point, not a fixed offer.

Typical environments

Refinery process units & pipe racks
Tank farms & storage terminals
LNG & gas-processing plants
Compressor & pumping stations
Pipeline right-of-way & offshore platforms

Key constraints

ATEX / IECEx Zone 1–2 classification
Flammable gas & vapour presence
Confined-space entry risk
GNSS-denied under pipe racks & structures
Heat, corrosion & washdown exposure

Platform, payload & routine

Ex-proof platform matched to zone (e.g. Micbot MOVENEW P1/P2)
Payload: multi-gas (LEL/O₂/H₂S, optional CO/CH₄) + radiometric thermal + acoustic leak
Autonomous scheduled rounds past flanges & valves
Daily perimeter + night rounds, auto-dock charging
Wheeled-leg configuration — on long, straight, flat routes across process units and tank farms, a wheeled-leg platform travels farther per charge while still clearing kerbs, drains and pipe crossings; switch to a pure-legged platform for steep or cluttered sites.

What you can expect: Earlier detection of leaks and hot spots between manual rounds; fewer hazardous-area and confined-space entries for technicians; continuous night coverage without shift premium.

Platform selection

Quadruped or wheeled? We pick for your terrain

As your integration partner we assess the actual route, not a catalogue. Morphology is a means to coverage, not a dogma — here is the honest trade-off we apply on every survey.

Where a quadruped wins

Stairs, ladders and elevation changes
Steel grating, cable trays, kerbs and debris
Unpaved, muddy or uneven ground
Mixed indoor–outdoor and rough terrain

Where a wheeled AMR wins

Long, flat, obstacle-free process roads
Paved tank-farm perimeters and hardstands
Smooth indoor corridors with few thresholds
High-speed, high-frequency long-distance runs

How we decide

Walk your real route during the site survey
Score by terrain mix, distance and payload
Recommend the morphology that fits
Tell you if a segment needs a different platform

In a petrochemical complex: flat, non-classified areas — tank-farm perimeters, paved hardstands, long access roads — are where a wheeled AMR covers distance efficiently. Classified units, skids with stairs and cable trays still favor a quadruped. We scope the two together rather than forcing one morphology, and confirm area classification before any platform is specified.

From assessment to running rounds

Deployment in four steps, ROI math included

Site assessment

Routes, hazard zones, standards, data outputs and comms coverage mapped — on-site or remote.

System configuration

Platform, payloads and certification path agreed; system built and tested against your environment.

Commissioning

Deployed and validated on site, with your operators trained on the console and dashboards.

4–8

weeks to deployment (typical)

12–18

months typical payback on rounds coverage

~50%

lower TCO vs. big-brand systems

24/7

round capability, no shift premium

Related insights

Questions engineers ask before a pilot

Can the robot work inside classified (ATEX / IECEx) areas?

We build each system to the zone classification you specify, and select a platform rated for that duty — for example the Micbot MOVENEW P1/P2 explosion-proof and anti-magnetic variants, which suit Zone 1/2 petrochemical duty. Final certification is issued by the notified body for your site, so we deliver the technical file, hazard assessment and documentation package your certifier needs rather than claiming a blanket certificate.

Can it actually detect gas leaks while it walks?

Yes. Typical payloads include a methane/LEL sensor, a thermal camera for invisible vapour plumes, and an acoustic sensor for pressurised leaks. The robot follows a defined route past flanges, valve glands, seals and pump seals, and flags readings above threshold. It complements your fixed gas detection system — it does not replace it, and it reaches the points fixed heads cannot cover.

How does it handle gratings, kerbs, gravel and stairs?

Industrial quadrupeds are built for exactly this: steel grating, unpaved ground, cable trays, kerbs up to roughly 20–25 cm and standard industrial stairs are all within normal capability. We confirm it on your own route during the site survey rather than on a spec sheet — if a segment is genuinely beyond the platform, we tell you before you commit.

Who owns the inspection data, and where does it go?

You do. Readings, images and reports can stay entirely on your own servers. We integrate with your historian, SCADA or CMMS through a standard API or scheduled export in common formats, and there is no mandatory cloud dependency. If your policy requires an air-gapped deployment, we scope it that way from the start.

Explosion-Proof Robot Dog for Oil & Gas Inspection