About

Conducting inspections in so constrained, narrow spaces is a labour intense and most importantly, extremely hazardous task to human operators. As such tasks cannot be performed under operating conditions, ship owners are forced to send their ships to dock inspection every two and a half to five years, causing high costs in labour and ship downtime. Robosurvey aspires to make a step towards offering the first fully autonomous UAV inspection system with its own scanning capabilities. The proposed solution relies on two small-size UAVs serving a dual role. The first vehicle (“scanner”) is launched into a narrow ship tank of unknown geometry, guided by advanced AI navigation algorithms, aiming to scan the space around it with LiDAR sensors. The scanned images are then processed by a local computing unit which is stored into a compact and portable control station, located on the ship. Based on the synthesised images and exploiting state-of-the art image processing.

Solution & Product

The described solution that Robosurvey proposes will constitute the first ever fully automated ship tank inspection technology relying on UAVs, without the need of an expert pilot or crew to be present on the ship. This will allow Robosurvey Ltd. to offer an integrated inspection kit to container shipping companies, enhanced with surrounding services such as remote training or guidance during the inspection, as well as customisation of the offered solution according to the particularities of the space to be surveyed.

Innovation & Scalability

ROBOSURVEY aspires to make a step towards offering the first fully autonomous UAV inspection system with its own scanning capabilities. The proposed solution relies on two small-size UAVs serving a dual role. The first vehicle (“scanner”) is launched into a narrow ship tank of unknown geometry, guided by advanced AI navigation algorithms, aiming to scan the space around it with LiDAR sensors. The scanned images are then processed by a local computing unit which is stored into a compact and portable control station, located on the ship. Based on the synthesised images and exploiting state-of-the art image processing software, the computing unit creates a 3D map which is, in turn, converted into an efficient flight plan to be fed again into the second UAV (“inspector”). The generated flight plan is not only capable of guiding the inspector, but thanks to Machine Learning algorithms trained with semi-empirical data, it also entails an optimised route focusing on the spots which are most likely to present vulnerabilities. The inspector is now capable of carrying out an independent survey of the space despite the lack of GPS connection. ROBOSURVEY uses as many of-the-shelf components as possible, with its novelty lying in the integration side of the hardware and of course, in the software developed to run the required navigation, communication, image processing and 3D mapping processes

Traction & achievements

The fundamental parts of Robosurvey include: (navigation, positioning, and Machine Learning algorithms) can be enhanced or tailored for other applications that require relevant technologies, such as industrial inspections, or deliveries in maritime or urban environments using UAVs.

Team & Why Us

The project team will include all the essential actors of the value network covering thus, the end user and market needs in the field, across the globe, team members are all committed to working towards the goal of the project which represents a breakthrough concept worldwide. The scientific and technical expertise needed can be found within the current members of partners' core team linked experts, ensuring that the project can start quickly and guarantees that junior staff hired for the project will receive high-quality training. The manner in which the main roles will be assigned guarantees a balanced work contribution, as each person will have a clearly defined role in each task and work package.

Funding Needs

Estimated Allocation (EUR) 997,668.0 Labour Cost 736,400.0 Indirect Costs 4,200.0 Travel 140,000.0 Equipment 51,800.0 Consumables 65,268.0 Projected Revenue € 4,697,220 Recurring annually in Year 5 (after the project terminates)