Photo Credit: Mickael Brock AMI Studio
points out. “We only access structures that cannot be reached by conventional means. We use drones to perform close- up surveys and to verify and confirm that a ship is structurally in good condition as required under class rules. The drone accelerates this spot-checking process dramatically so we can accomplish it within a single visit. We can even perform it during a voyage or port stay.” Wherever conditions are detected that warrant further investigation, traditional access using staging is unavoidable, he adds; but when the drone survey shows that everything is in good condition, this expense can be avoided.
AN EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY Younger tankers, MPVs and bulk carriers are the primary targets of DNV GL’s drone survey offer. Oledzki says that conceivably drone measurements could be extended to cover the full scope of thickness measurements at some time in the future. And that is by no means all this technology could accomplish. “The last step of this development could be
autonomous drones performing close-up inspections and thickness measurements,” says Leszek Alba. “They could either navigate based on sensor and navigational algorithms or using an electronic model such as the ‘digital twin’. This would enable the surveyor to stay outside, simply watching the computer screen and letting the drone do its work independently.”
As for the present, incorporating thickness measurements in drone surveys is already a big step, says Alba: “Today we have gathered enough experience and solid results to know what we can achieve in assessing the condition of structures. Autonomous drones will essentially do the same but with less operator involvement.”
And as Tomasz Oledzki says, “We know the ship, and as surveyors we know exactly what we are looking for,” . “We not only take pictures or measurements but we are competent to assess them and confirm the good condition of the ship, and we take responsibility for every aspect of these services.”
Tomasz Oledzki , Head of Section Fleet in Service (FiS) Poland at DNV GL Maritime
The Report • September 2019 • Issue 89 | 77
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