Gecko’s Cantilever platform uses AI and robotics to optimize performance, predict maintenance, and extend asset life while reducing downtime.
The collaboration uses AI and robotics to optimize operations and address growing energy demands nationwide.
“The energy demand will grow substantially over the next five to ten years, and we need to be smarter about how technology can support our workforce and infrastructure to deliver this,” said Mark Dobler, President and CEO of NAES, in a statement.
In light of the national energy emergency that was declared on January 20, the multi-year arrangement, initially valued at over $100 million with the potential to expand beyond $250 million, intends to update electricity infrastructure.
To update US power infrastructure in the face of rising demand, the partnership combines Gecko’s cutting-edge robotics and AI platforms with NAES’s operational competence in thermal and renewable energy.
Over the next four years, the US’s energy demand is expected to rise by 16% due to data centers, transportation electrification, industrial growth, and advances in artificial intelligence.
By 2030, data center power demand alone will increase by 160%, further taxing an already vulnerable system. In response, Gecko and NAES will deploy AI-driven solutions that maximize plant performance, use robotics to gather data from the real world, and automate vital procedures.
With the support of the White House, the companies aim to attract investment, talent, and regulatory backing to accelerate grid modernization.
“The White House has rightly acknowledged that we are in an energy crisis, and that continuing on our current path for production and supply puts our country at risk,” said Jake Loosararian, Co-founder and CEO of Gecko Robotics.
“Every kilowatt counts. By partnering with Gecko, we can be a pioneer for the industry and demonstrate the advantage that can be gained when turning to innovation and technology because it’s essential we deliver for our country,” said Dobler.
Gecko’s AI-powered Cantilever platform uses a wealth of data gathered from its wall-climbing robots, drones, robotic dogs, and fixed sensors to monitor vital infrastructure.
Through performance optimization, maintenance demand forecasting, and asset health issue identification, the platform extends asset longevity and decreases unscheduled downtime. Cantilever-using facilities increase productivity while lowering failure risk by sharing information.
More field operations will be mechanized as robot technology develops, strengthening NAES’s exceptional safety record.
The businesses also want to solve the power industry’s labor issue, as retirements are outpacing recruits. The companies claim that combining AI and robots will draw in top personnel and guarantee the preservation of important industry knowledge.
