Drone solution for simplified underwater ship inspections

Classification society Bureau Veritas has completed the proof of concept project for underwater remote surveys using the Seasam technology ecosystem from Notilo Plus on a Corsica Linea ship Mediterranée.

Efficient underwater inspection of shipping vessels is important as a substitute for docking surveys or to inspect hull damage.

BV has been evaluating opportunities to provide effective remote inspection services.

Using the Seasam system, an in-water survey of a ship in Marseille has been supervised from Paris.

According to BV, the Seasam drone, sensors, and control system with Notilo Plus software has demonstrated innovative and enhanced capabilities as one of the possible alternatives to the traditional diver in-water survey.

• Safer operations with no divers in the water;

• Reduction in risk of disturbance to ship operations;

• Higher quality pictures generated by the drone due its stability in the water;

• Ease of deployment with one operator and limited equipment compared to a team of several divers and their equipment;

• A collaborative platform providing enriched video sharing;

• A secure data platform providing intuitive and detailed reporting.

Laurent Leblanc, senior vice president Technical & Operations for Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said:

“Underwater remote surveys can improve safety, reduce risk, time and expenses to provide better results. Maintaining the integrity and safety of a ship is a huge task. This new underwater technology brings digital classification to another level providing new opportunities to both our clients and to BV.”

Nicolas Gambini CEO of Notilo Plus, added: “Collecting reliable, localized, high quality data and analyzing it to provide insightful hull management advice will make ship operations safer and reduce fuel consumption, as well as the industry’s environmental impact.”

Emmanuel Cesari, head of Corsica Linea’s superintendents, also indicated:

“This underwater drone solution, designed by Notilo Plus, could simplify the maintenance of our ships and enable us to carry out quick underwater surveys whatever the sea conditions, while consolidating and increasing our efficiency.”