Tohoku Enterprise Co., Ltd., a Boston Dynamics partner collaborated with Electric Power Development Co., Ltd., commonly known as J-POWER to deploy Boston Dynamics Spot robot at the Onikobe Geothermal Power Plant. Spot was introduced in 2022 as part of a DX-driven smart maintenance initiative aimed at supporting operational duties, enhancing safety management, and reducing workload.

“In terms of ROI, by having robots perform the patrols currently carried out by humans, personnel can focus on more critical tasks that only humans can do.”

Takashi Fuchi, Thermal Energy Dept, Spot Lead

TRANSCRIPT

Thermal Energy Dept, GM Takahide Matsuda: J-POWER has power plants from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu and Okinawa in the south. The Onikobe Geothermal Power Plant began operations in April 2023. It contributes to a stable power supply as a source of renewable energy.

We are working on promoting smart maintenance through digital transformation (DX). We have introduced Spot to support operational tasks, enhance safety capabilities, and reduce workload.

Thermal Energy Dept, Spot Lead Takashi Fuchi: Robots execute missions with high accuracy, without mistakes, and with strong reproducibility, enabling the accumulation of large amounts of data. The results of human patrols are recorded only as inspection logs at that moment, but the ability to retain quantified and numerical data holds significant value.

Onikobe Geothermal Plant, Director Hitoshi Nakatomi: Since the power plant is quite far from our Naruko office, in the event of an incident, sending a robot to the site first to assess the situation could be a highly effective solution.

Onikobe Geothermal Plant, Manager Yuui Otomo: Power plants are locations where hydrogen sulfide is generated. Thus, I believe that ensuring worker safety is one of the major advantages of using Spot.

Fuchi: We have upgraded Spot at the Onikobe Geothermal Power Plant. We’ve created six missions in total with 188 measurement points. It is now capable of digitizing field instrument readings, measuring temperature, and detecting anomalies using ultrasound. It can also perform acoustic analysis, measure gas concentrations, and detect oil leaks.

One of the great things about Spot is that its capabilities continuously expand with each update. For example, during autonomous operation, if a person is descending a staircase, Spot will wait for the person to pass before proceeding.

Thermographic analysis provides a clear and intuitive temperature trend display for designated areas such as motors, pumps, and geothermal steam piping. Acoustic analysis detects unusual anomalies like pipe vibrations or abnormal pump noises and sends notifications via email.

Orbit is the most compatible software for automated patrol inspections with Spot. For example, it makes it easy to track Spot’s current position, manage captured data, edit mission routes, and schedule tasks. The data automatically collected by Spot is organized by mission and stored in the cloud in a clear and easy-to-understand format.

Gauge analysis uses image processing to accurately read a wide variety of onsite instruments, such as gauges and level meters, with high precision.

Otomo: The controls are highly intuitive and easy to use. Even first-time users can operate it freely right away.

Nakatomi: The name “Onippy” was chosen by the children of the local Onikobe Elementary School, where the Onikobe Power Unfortunately, Onikobe Elementary School will be merged with another school at the end of this fiscal year. As a final memory, we held a naming contest for the robot.

From the submissions, we selected the most familiar and friendly name. Ultimately, “Onippy,” a name suggested by a first-grade girl, was chosen. We hope to cherish and carry on this name.

Fuchi: In terms of ROI, by having robots perform the patrols currently carried out by humans, personnel can focus on more critical tasks that only humans can do. Also, anomalies can be detected early from a remote location. As a result, we believe that an improvement in equipment operational efficiency is expected.

Looking ahead, we aim to develop robotic capabilities that make it feel as if we were there ourselves. And, we also expect to utilize Spot for remote education and instruction through the use of robots.

Matsuda: As we continue advancing digital transformation, we will work closely with the field, driven by passion and commitment. We have high expectations for this Spot!