An AI-driven gaming platform being developed by the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center (MKO) at Texas A&M University and EnerSys Corporation allows pipeline operators to be exposed to pipeline incidents in a controlled environment and gain experience in responding to real-world scenarios.
Pipeline leaks or failures can have a catastrophic impact on assets, people and the environment as well as causing untold financial and reputational damage. In early April this year, for example, a leaking gas pipeline sparked a huge fire on the outskirts of Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, injuring more than 100 people.
The project aims to develop a realistic training system for teams to practice handling hazardous condition response and emergency response in a collaborative learning environment. It simulates various pipeline failure scenarios, using AI to visualise how such situations can evolve, and provides measurable outcomes of the response, so that when incidents do occur, people working with pipelines can be prepared and respond more quickly and effectively.
According to an article on the Texas A&M website, MKO will provide knowledge and understanding of the pipeline and its safety issues and create mathematical models for the project, while EnerSys Corporation will facilitate research and data collection from industry.
Trial scenarios with a research and development team are planned by the end of this year, with results being incorporated into the platform.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to learn, particularly from the industrial experiences, and develop tools that enable fusion of knowledge and experience to improve safety,” said Faisal Khan, director of the Mary Kay O-Connor Process Safety Center.
A new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on ‘Revolutionizing health and safety: the role of AI and digitalization at work’ highlights the effectiveness of immersive virtual training environments, allowing workers to acquire new skills quickly and retain knowledge more efficiently, thereby providing a better trained and more competent workforce.
“The technology presents an important opportunity to improve the effectiveness of safety and safety-relevant training due to its abilities both to allow trainees to fail safely and to present scenarios that are difficult to replicate in the real world, either due to financial constraints or safety concerns,” it says.
AI-driven gaming platform set to enhance pipeline safety
The platform will allow pipeline operators to practice response to pipeline incidents in a controlled environment. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
