Drones are playing an increasingly important role in the fields of ship surveys, inspections, assessment and maintenance. They are actually revolutionising the marine industry, enhancing efficiency, safety, and lowering the environmental impact of businesses. Many companies in the United Kingdom are making use of UAV technologies in ship maintenance with the hope of enjoying these benefits. Ships, which typically measure hundreds of meters long and can be hundreds of feet high, are in constant contact with the harsh elements, and their hulls, tanks and other parts require regular inspection to ensure they meet the necessary safety requirements to meet maritime law.
Currently, many of these inspections are performed manually by workers, with limited effectiveness as well as a higher risk. During a manual inspection, workers use rope suspension systems, scaffolding and ladders to inspect various parts and systems. This approach is associated with multiple teams workings and an element of danger. Drone ship inspection offers a much better alternative. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for inspecting ships come equipped with high definition cameras that are used to perform visual inspection and survey of the vessel during ship maintenance. During an UAV ship survey, the drone is flown over the surface of the vessel using an automatic flight control system by a human pilot. The drone takes a series of high-resolution pictures automatically during the flight. These images are recorded in a database or they may be beamed back live to a monitor at the maintenance facility, where they are scrutinised for potential non-quality. The data (images) from the drone are able to show any signs of defects, such as dents, scratches, peeling paint, stains, and more. Because the data is recorded, drone ship survey is able to greatly improve on traceability, prevention and reduction of damage. The benefits of UAV ship survey and inspections are unmatched. Vessel downtime for inspection is greatly reduced. Data acquisition for drone ship inspection only takes minutes, instead of hours using traditional methods.
The use of drone ship survey also offers better working conditions including improved safety and comfort for the inspectors. With this inspection technique, operators don’t have to go up a telescopic handler or use manual rope suspension systems to perform visual inspections, sometimes in dangerous conditions. What’s more, data analysis can be carried out anytime afterwards and in the comfort of an office. Basically, UAV ship survey allows for easier, faster, safer and more cost effective ship inspections – which can only be good for shipping and maintenance companies. Need A Ship Survey?
We Are Experts in Cost Effective, Quality and Safe Drone Inspections As you probably already know, a regular human ship inspection can be a costly affair. It is also a slow and costly process, and the results are often poor quality, too. We have a solution! We are a leader in the provision of industrial inspection and ship surveying using unmanned aerial vehicles in the United Kingdom. Our team is water safety trained and we are fully licensed and insured to carry out commercial drone inspection and are qualified to work in complex high risk industrial areas, including the marine environment. We offer highly detailed drone ship survey services that offer safety, flexibility and cost advantages over traditional inspection and surveying methods. By engaging our experienced ROAV/UAV pilots camera operators , you can save money and time and, more importantly, have peace of mind knowing your vessels are up to date and in compliance with safety equipment and optimal operating condition.