Machine learning and advanced robotics with Kværner
The summer project at Kværner looked at options for improving the company’s overview of its resources in its yards and for digitising its maps and layout plans.
Kværner provides engineering, procurement and construction services for advanced offshore platforms, onshore facilities, floating production units and renewable energy solutions.
The company has offices in seven countries and around 2,800 employees. In Norway, the company has two yards - at Stord and Verdal. The Stord yard assembles platform topsides, while the Verdal yard fabricates steel substructures.
Kværner’s yards are complex manufacturing areas at which multiple projects are undertaken concurrently and parts and equipment are always being moved.
This creates major logistical challenges in terms of keeping track of and control over each yard’s resources, as well as in terms of warehouse checks, as its existing system is manual and particularly person-dependent.
The team
5x Developers
2x Business Consultants
1x UX Designer
Project goals
The project looked at options for improving Kværner’s ability to keep track of its resources at its yards and for digitising its maps and layout plans.
The project was part of the Kværner Machine Learning Camp. Itera contributed eight summer students to the project, who were variously developers, designers and business consultants.
The solution was delivered in collaboration with Cognite and was based on the Cognite Data Fusion platform. The project has laid the foundation for further collaboration and for the product to be developed further.
The Kværner Team
As summer students at Itera, the student team got the chance to work on a real project with the product they created delivering real value to the customer.
The project gave the students the opportunity to explore cutting-edge technology, and robotics and machine learning were key elements in their day-to-day work. They were also able to discover what can be created when various specialist disciplines work together.
"Being a summer student at Itera is something I cannot recommend highly enough, and I am certain that you would struggle to find the same opportunities elsewhere."
Kristian Wøien Stø
Summer student at Itera in 2020
Project outcome
The project resulted in the development of YardMap, an app that provides resource tracking, fleet management and navigation around the yards. The app was developed for use on both mobile devices and desktops.
The application enables Kværner’s employees to look up the location of relevant resources at any time. Up-to-date and supplementary information on buildings and vehicles is also available with just a few clicks.
The app gives employees a better overview of the yards and improves co-ordination at all levels, saving time and stopping equipment from getting lost, to mention but two of the benefits.
The project made use of advanced tech such as robotics, machine learning and image recognition. Spot, a robotic dog developed by Boston Dynamics, is programmed to navigate through the yard each day and to identify assets and to log these in YardMap. GPS is used to provide a real-time overview of vehicles’ locations.
In addition, a 360 degree street view was developed that is continually updated.
YardMap enhances Kværner’s monitoring of its resources and their navigation around its yards. Employees working in its yards now have access to a digital and continuously updated representation of each yard and its assets, and this saves time that they can spend on other important tasks.
As well as making use of innovative tech, the app has reduced the reliance on specific employees and has improved the efficiency of the asset location process, coordination and transportation tasks, as well as navigation around the yards.
