Square Robots is a Boston, MA-based company founded in 2016 that has developed an autonomous submarine-like robot called SR-1 for inspecting tanks used in the oil and gas industry. The SR-1 robot is equipped with an internal autonomy engine that integrates guidance plans, navigation data, and a dynamic control system to execute autonomous inspections of above-ground tanks containing liquids such as oil, diesel, jet fuel, gasoline, ethanol, and water.
During an inspection, the robot uses its sediment removal system to clear sediment from the tank bottom before scanning it with a Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) array. The PAUT array collects 18,000 data points per square foot, providing detailed thickness measurements of the tank bottom. This data is reviewed in real-time by Square Robots' operators to ensure data capture and quality.
The company's business model involves contracting out its robots, along with a three-person crew, for tank inspections. This eliminates the need for personnel to enter dangerous, confined spaces and avoids taking tanks out of service for inspections. In October 2023, Square Robots raised USD 5 million in funding to increase its fleet from seven to 11 robots, with plans to expand to over 100 robots within the next five to 10 years.
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