Cogniac: Transforming How We Look at Inspections.

National Grid Metering (NGM) is the largest gas meter asset manager in the UK, responsible for the management and maintenance of more than 8 million gas assets. For NGM, finding a more efficient way to address any challenges with its vast portfolio of gas assets isn’t just important — it’s increasingly critical for keeping people safe and warm. Could AI help? Cogniac’s Vison Operations Intelligence Platform thinks it can. 

Software that can read images, classify objects, spot defects or perform other visual inspection tasks much like a human can, the platform is invaluable in identifying potential issues without having to be on-site, making remote diagnostic inspections easier and more efficient. 

NGM and Cogniac collaborated to train an AI model to identify different makes and models of meter regulators (which may benefit from early replacement), using a variety of photographs taken from multiple angles and in various lighting conditions. These regulators, like any asset in the field, can degrade over time, and a targeted, proactive replacement program can maximize both cost effectiveness and safety for the customer.

Thanks to Cogniac’s work in AI vision inspection software, cataloging NGM’s assets may prove more manageable than ever as customers, engineers, and meter readers can digitally submit photographs of regulators for identification. The AI vision inspection streamlines the process and allows NGM to provide greater focus and attention across the business to further deliver quality and service benefits to our customers.

National Grid Partners and Cogniac’s ultimate goal for the platform is to provide an efficient, cost-effective approach to asset management that could help many companies act more quickly and easily inspect and preemptively replace vital equipment before problems happen.