AR-guided pipeline inspections — structured, documented, and compliant before the inspector leaves site
ContinuumAR guides pipeline inspectors through structured integrity assessment checklists on AR smart glasses, captures photographic and video evidence automatically as the inspection progresses, generates the compliance report from the completed checklist data on-site, and connects to remote integrity engineers for real-time consultation on any anomaly found.
Regulatory compliance, remote locations, and anomalies that need immediate specialist input
Pipeline integrity inspections are among the most documentation-intensive field operations in the energy sector. Regulatory frameworks require a verifiable record of every assessment — what was checked, in what sequence, by whom, with what findings — and the consequences of a documentation failure can be severe.
At the same time, inspections happen along remote routes and at remote facilities where specialist integrity engineers are rarely present. When an inspector finds an anomaly outside their direct experience — an unusual corrosion pattern, a weld condition they have not encountered — getting expert input takes time that the inspection schedule may not accommodate.
The traditional inspection model — paper checklist, separate camera, post-inspection report write-up — is slow to produce, prone to documentation gaps, and creates a lag between what was found and what is recorded. ContinuumAR collapses the inspection and the documentation into a single workflow running on the inspector's AR smart glasses.
Documentation produced from memory rather than from the inspection itself
An inspector who writes up their report after returning from the route is working from notes and memory. Details are missed. Photo references are separated from their context. The lag between inspection and documentation creates a gap in the evidential chain.
No expert input available at the point of the anomaly
An inspector who finds something outside their experience has limited options: proceed on their own judgement, flag it for later review, or stop the inspection and arrange for an expert visit. None of these is as good as having an integrity engineer available to consult in real time.
Inconsistent inspection procedure across inspectors and routes
Without a structured, enforced procedure, inspection thoroughness varies with the individual. Steps are skipped under time pressure. The same route inspected by different people produces records that are difficult to compare because the underlying procedure was not consistent.
Compliance reports that take time to produce after the inspection
A report written after the inspection — rather than generated from the inspection record — takes time, introduces error, and means the documented outcome is available later than it needs to be for the approval and scheduling decisions that follow an integrity assessment.
Structured assessments, automatic documentation, expert consultation, and on-site reports
ContinuumAR addresses the four core requirements of a compliant pipeline inspection: a structured, enforced procedure; automatic evidence capture; expert access at the point of need; and a compliance report generated from the actual inspection data.
Structured integrity assessment checklists on AR smart glasses
The inspector works through the assessment checklist on their smart glasses — hands free, by voice. The checklist is structured to match your regulatory requirements. Conditional branching takes the inspector through the correct follow-on steps when an anomaly is found. Mandatory steps cannot be bypassed. Evidence is captured automatically against each step. The compliance report is generated when the checklist is complete.
Remote AssistanceIntegrity engineer available for any finding — in real time
When the inspector finds an anomaly requiring specialist input, they connect to a remote integrity engineer directly from the inspection ticket on their smart glasses. The engineer sees the live view of the finding, annotates the live camera feed to mark what they observe, and gives their assessment without the inspector having to stop or the engineer having to travel. The session is recorded and attached to the inspection record automatically.
Field ServiceRepair and maintenance procedures with enforced sequencing
Where an integrity finding triggers a repair or maintenance operation, that work runs through a ContinuumAR field service checklist with enforced procedure sequencing and mandatory safety steps. The repair record is attached to the same ticket as the inspection that identified the issue, giving a complete audit trail from finding through to resolution.
AR TrainingBuilding inspector capability for specific anomaly types
Remote integrity engineers can run training sessions with junior inspectors using ContinuumAR — guiding them through the identification and assessment of specific anomaly types on actual equipment. Every session is recorded. When a junior inspector encounters the same anomaly type in the field, they can review the relevant session recording before calling for expert support.
How pipeline operators use ContinuumAR
Specific inspection scenarios where AR-guided checklists, automatic documentation, and remote expert access make a practical difference to the inspection outcome and the compliance record.
Above-ground pipeline inspection with automatic evidence capture
An inspector conducting an above-ground pipeline integrity assessment works through the structured checklist on their RealWear smart glasses. At each inspection point, they record their findings by voice and capture photographs of any visible anomalies. Those captures are automatically linked to the specific checklist step they relate to. When the inspection is complete, the report is generated from the checklist data and available for review before the inspector returns to the vehicle.
Unusual corrosion finding assessed by remote integrity engineer in real time
An inspector finds a section of coating damage with an underlying corrosion pattern they have not encountered before. Rather than flagging it for a follow-up visit, they call the remote integrity engineer from the inspection ticket on their smart glasses. The engineer sees the finding live, annotates the view to mark the extent of the affected area, assesses the severity against the relevant standard, and gives a recommended course of action — all in the time it would normally take to send an email describing the finding.
Inspection programme with a consistent, auditable record across all routes and inspectors
A pipeline operator running a scheduled inspection programme across multiple routes standardises the inspection procedure through a ContinuumAR checklist. Every inspector on every route follows the same structured procedure in the same sequence. The completed records are consistent in structure and in evidential content — making them comparable across routes and reviewable by the regulator without the gaps that paper-based records typically contain.
Integrity finding tracked through to repair with a complete audit trail
An inspection identifies a section requiring remedial work. The finding is recorded in the inspection ticket with the photographic evidence captured during the assessment. The repair job is created as a linked ticket with a maintenance checklist attached. When the repair is completed, both tickets — the inspection finding and the repair record — are accessible together, giving a complete audit trail from the identification of the issue through to its resolution.
See ContinuumAR for pipeline inspection
We demonstrate a complete inspection workflow — checklist, evidence capture, expert consultation, and compliance report — using your AR hardware.