🐾 ANYmal X: Certified Robot Deliveries for Explosive Environments Have Begun!

[Erkan Teskancan]

🚀 A Revolutionary Step from ANYbotics​

ANYbotics has officially begun customer deliveries of ANYmal X, the first legged inspection robot certified for explosive atmospheres. Designed to meet the stringent ATEX and IECEx safety standards of the oil, gas, and chemical sectors, this robot is being shipped to industry leaders such as Equinor and DSM-Firmenich. ANYmal X uses an advanced industrial AI stack to perform autonomous inspection rounds, keeping human operators safe in hazardous areas.

🛡️ Safe Navigation in Hazardous Environments​

Standard robots are often prohibited from critical areas containing pumps, compressors, and valves due to ignition risks. ANYmal X overcomes this barrier using a novel explosion protection approach. Its AI computer and inspection equipment are housed in nitrogen-filled, sealed compartments, while its twelve leg actuators and battery are encased in flameproof enclosures. Operating without the need for plant modifications, the robot can navigate steep stairs and narrow passages. Integrated thermal, visual, acoustic, and gas sensors detect overheating, leaks, and abnormal noise, recording data directly to the relevant asset via the Shift operations platform.

📉 Reducing Downtime with Predictive Maintenance​

Unplanned downtime caused by undetected equipment failures can cost the oil and gas sector up to $500,000 per hour. ANYmal X provides continuous, repeatable, and structured observational data, establishing a standardized baseline for asset health. This enables reliability engineers to intervene before minor wear turns into costly plant shutdowns. Furthermore, the robot's integration with existing plant maintenance software like SAP and Yokogawa directly translates these autonomous inspection findings into actionable maintenance work orders.

💡 ATEX/IECEx Certification: Why It Matters for Mobile Robotics​

In explosive atmospheres (Ex zones), airborne concentrations of flammable gas, vapor, or combustible dust pose a catastrophic ignition risk. Traditional fixed industrial equipment achieves ATEX (European) or IECEx (global) compliance either through intrinsically safe circuits (limiting electrical and thermal energy to levels below the ignition threshold) or large cast metal flameproof enclosures designed to contain an internal explosion. Neither of these legacy methods is suitable for a dynamic legged robot, which requires high-power, high-torque actuators for stair climbing and a lightweight chassis to maintain agility. To solve this, engineers must employ advanced protective paradigms such as active pressurization (Ex p). In this method, internal compartments are purged with inert nitrogen at positive pressure to prevent flammable external gases from entering. Additionally, advanced non-sparking materials, antistatic conductive grounding feet, and isolated energy barriers for charging interfaces are used to ensure that even a single fault does not trigger an external explosion.