Remontowa employs drones for internal inspection

The drone was equipped with high definition cameras to inspect the inside of a cargo tank. Special protective frames around propellers allowed the UAV to hover in contact with the tank while it conducted a visual assessment of the surface and protective coating, looking for flaws such as cracks or corrosion.

Visual inspection by drone may be a useful time-saving method where it can rule out the need for further, more detailed inspection, Remontowa noted. “The vehicle is intended to provide a surveyor with an overall impression of the state of the hull and bulkheads of a vessel under inspection. The technology may be also applied to inspection of external structures, such as masts or deck crane jibs.

The shipyard added that the initial result was promising, with the UAV showing excellent stability in confined space, allowing for good quality visual recording. Remontowa noted that the test was purely experimental, with the ship owner providing its own inspection results and repair specifications.

“The owners’ representatives expressed their overall positive impression on the technology demonstrated in tests,” the yard reported. “As their outcome is definitely promising, the yard is willing to proceed with introducing this technology in commercial operations in selected, appropriate applications.”

As reported, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding decided to employ drones for a range of tasks – including but not limited to visual inspection – after a four-day trial in May.