CLASS society DNV GL is pleased with testing results that indicate cheaper and faster hull surveys are at hand if the experience with drones on two vessels in Gdansk's Remontova shipyard is anything to go by.
Using drones to visually check the condition of remote structural components has the potential to significantly reduce survey times and staging costs, while at the same time improving safety for the surveyors.
"We have been looking at ways we could help our customers by accelerating the survey process," said DNV GL maritime classification flying squad chief Cezary Galinski.
"Camera-equipped drones are now much more widely available and affordable, and by using them for a first screening we can identify areas that require closer inspection quickly and without extensive staging, which can be both costly and time-consuming," he said.
The tests used a camera-equipped drone to visually evaluate structural components through video streamed into a tablet. One surveyor operated the drone, while a second checked the video feed in real time.
The stream was also recorded for review and documentation purposes. Equipped with a powerful headlight, the drone was able to produce a video of sufficient quality for initial inspection purposes. In the event any damage is detected, a traditional close-up survey may still be required.
"We used a modified off-the-shelf drone for our tests," said Mr Galinski. "Because there are currently no drones formally certified as explosion-proof commercially available, we performed a risk assessment."
Taking precautionary measures, before the drone operation started, they ensured that the cargo tank was gas-free and certified for safe entry.
"Our next step is to work with a more advanced tailor-made drone in early 2016. We are also developing a special guideline for performing drone-based surveys. This could open the way to remote or even autonomous inspections being carried out as part of our survey scheme in the near future," he said.
Said DNV GL technology and research chief Pierre Sames: "DNV GL has a longstanding R&D programme working on developing advanced inspection technologies. These are the first steps towards an automated survey process which might include using a drone to make the initial survey, taking the images generated and then running them through an algorithm to determine the hull condition."
WORLD SHIPPING
23 December 2015 - 22:31
DNV GL class society drones aim for cheaper, better hull inspections
CLASS society DNV GL is pleased with testing results that indicate cheaper and faster hull surveys are at hand if the experience with drones on two vessels in Gdansk's Remontova shipyard is anything to go by.
WORLD SHIPPING
23 December 2015 - 22:31
DNV GL class society drones aim for cheaper, better hull inspections
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