How to choose the right reality capture vendor to avoid common pitfalls with reality capture solutions

The oil and gas sector is rapidly digitising its assets to create 3D reality capture digital twins that support multiple activities throughout an asset's life cycle. While many industry giants self-perform laser scanning activities to create a digital model, their in-house capabilities are typically limited to surveying and smaller engineering tasks. Therefore, most operators elect to outsource their large-scale platform or asset capture (Read: How ExxonMobil effectively decommissions their platforms with reality capture). However, selecting a suitable vendor for reality capture solutions to generate a digital copy is crucial for a high-quality digital twin.

Most operators make the mistake of choosing surveyors or drone operators as their vendor of choice for the capture, because they are commonly used for visual inspections, and it is assumed that they can capture assets due to the similarity in equipment they have with reality capture specialists. However, this assumption may not be valid since, despite having the necessary equipment and background, surveyors are not reality capture specialists like Airscope to create an engineering digital twin that would transform the way operators work.

Instead, it's encouraged to outsource these types of projects to a reality capture specialist who creates holistic solutions from capturing the assets and processing the data with high accuracy and precision for engineering and business decisions.  

Here are some factors that operators should look out for when selecting the right reality capture partner: 

• Can the vendor meet the parameters of the project's objective?

  In the current market, there are numerous options available for creating a reality capture model, including drones, mobile and ground scanners, aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry methods, as well as various software tools. While each of these methods can capture, the key to success lies in using the right combination of tools in the correct setting and workflow. Therefore, your vendors must be able to recommend an appropriate solution that meets your needs. They must be able to meet the objectives with the proposed outcomes and integrate them into your existing systems.

• Will the vendor process the data captured in a useable format?

  Determine if your vendor can process data and meet the expected level of accuracy early in the conversation. The data captured needs to be useful in meeting the objectives of the project. If not, the operator may receive massive volumes of data from the outsourcing vendor and the data will become unsuitable for the intended purpose. The unfortunate byproduct of this could be that the operator feels the reality capture information is non-informative, therefore adoption rate is negligible.

• Does the vendor provide familiarisation and training on using reality capture?

  To ensure a successful reality capture project, vendors must take the lead in providing proper consultations and exploration phases to operators. Without a clear understanding of the technology's possibilities and applications, operators may present the full scope of work to the vendor prematurely, leading to project failure.

Moreover, vendors themselves must offer appropriate training to the in-house team during the model handover to ensure they can utilise the promised deliverables with self-sufficient means. The vendor is responsible for equipping the operators with the necessary knowledge and skills during the deployment of the reality capture model to optimize workflows. 

Airscope is a leading provider of reality capture solutions for the oil and gas industry. Our expertise simplifies the complex process of outsourcing reality capture. We deliver accurate digital models for collaborative decision-making, automated asset inspections, improved safety, optimised operational delivery, project planning, work pack definition, and workforce engagement. Our digital models can offer engineering-grade accuracy, making them reliable for extensional FEED activities that empower teams to make informed decisions with confidence.