Real-time gas detection integrated into robotic inspections for safer hazard assessment

Blackline Safety Corp has announced its partnership with MFE Inspection Solutions to integrate Blackline’s cloud-connected portable detector with Boston Dynamics' Spot®, the world’s leading mobile industrial robot. The solution extends connected gas detection into robotic workflows, instantly delivering gas readings, alerts and location data to remote monitoring teams, before sending personnel into potentially dangerous areas.

“Gas detection is critical for safety. And teams are no longer limited to collecting that data only when a person enters the area,” said Dylan Duke, CEO of MFE Inspection Solutions. “Robots like Spot are already being used to collect inspection data remotely in hazardous environments. This solution adds real-time gas detection to those workflows, giving operators insight into gas hazards before deciding how and when to send people in.”

Industrial gas monitoring has traditionally relied on personal monitors worn by workers. Connected gas detection provides a new model, giving teams access to gas data from multiple sources - personal monitors, area monitors, and remote systems like robots or drones—with live, detailed views of atmospheric conditions that help organisations make faster decisions. The MFE Spot Connected Gas Detection Solution provides a crucial piece of the connected worker puzzle, allowing teams to monitor gas conditions remotely without endangering personnel.

“This is about connecting technologies customers are already using and making them more useful together,” said Christine Gillies, Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Blackline Safety. “MFE has built the digital plumbing to connect Spot with Blackline’s connected gas detection platform, adding another layer to worker protection while giving organisations critical exposure data as it happens, not after the fact like with traditional monitors, so they can make informed decisions in the moment.” 

The solution lets operators view gas readings and alerts in Blackline Safety’s Blackline Live software, directly on the Spot tablet during operation, providing real-time awareness in the field. It also triggers automated return-to-home actions when defined gas thresholds - such as rising LEL - are detected, helping teams move Spot out of hazardous conditions and protect site personnel. Teams can use a wide range of hot-swappable, configurable, cartridge-based sensors that can be tailored to different environments and applications including oil and gas operators that can use it to monitor combustible gases like methane or LEL conditions; semiconductor facilities that can use it to detect gases like ammonia; and chemical processing plants that can use it to monitor for toxic gases like hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), carbon monoxide (CO), or sulfur dioxide (SO₂).

"Spot's thermal, acoustic, and visual inspection abilities provide AI-powered predictive insights into facility health,” said Merry Frayne, Senior Director of Product at Boston Dynamics. “Integrating the Blackline Safety portable device gives process manufacturers an even more complete picture of their site while keeping people out of harm's way."

MFE supports deployment of the MFE Spot Connected Gas Detection Solution with Blackline Safety. by helping customers determine where robotic gas detection fits within their existing safety and inspection workflows. The team works with operators to evaluate site needs, configure the right gas detection setup, train personnel, support implementation, and remain engaged after deployment so the system is used effectively in real field conditions.