NEEDING A HERO

Joel Poe from Applied Impact Robotics discusses the founding of the company and what it can offer the tank storage industry. Applied Impact Robotics (AIR) was formed after winning the HeroX competition in November 2019, spearheaded by Malaysian oil major Petronas. Petronas was seeking a solution to close a critical gap within their storage tank inspection process and partnered with Chrysalix Venture Capital to create a contest to source and fund solutions with a prize of US$250,000 (€223,000) for development. In the 12 months following the initial award, AIR validated the core concepts of the design and key metrics to de- risk the program. In February 2021, this resulted in US$1.25 million seed investment with Chrysalix Venture Capital to continue the development work. Chrysalix would not have made the seed investment without clear validation of the industry’s need for this solution from their limited partner, Petronas. AST FLOOR INSPECTIONS AIR is addressing floor inspections of above ground storage tanks (ASTs) used to hold crude oil. These tanks can be as large as 300’ (91.5 m) in diameter and built from welded steel plates that are federally mandated to be internally...