Jome Engineering, 3DTS, and SteelCorr have announced plans to form a consortium that will develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered drone inspections of tanks on ships and offshore assets.
The collaboration will combine the ship repair capabilities of Jome Engineering with the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology of 3dts and the Digital Paint Report (DPR) AI platform from SteelCorr.
Using drones designed for complex internal steel structures, the companies aim to capture high-quality data to inform maintenance decisions, while removing the need for scaffolding or rope access in dark, oxygen-depleted environments. 3DTS has already secured approvals from seven classification societies for the use of its drones in official vessel surveys.
“The environment inside a ship’s ballast tank is a very challenging place for a robot to operate,” said David Knukkel, Drone Coordinator of 3DTS.
“Our specialised UAVs are built to navigate these complex steel structures and accurately capture the condition of the tanks. By partnering with JOME and SteelCorr, we aren’t just delivering a drone; we are delivering good quality data that serves as the foundation for the AI to make objective decisions.”
The visual data captured by the drones will be analysed by SteelCorr’s software to identify early-stage corrosion and coating degradation, allowing maintenance action to be taken at the optimal time.
“Early detection is the difference between a minor touch-up and a huge steel replacement project,” said Leroy Dias, Founder of SteelCorr.
“Our AI platform provides objective, data-driven insights. By catching corrosion in its infancy, we help shipowners avoid significant metal loss and the massive costs associated with unplanned drydocking and structural steel renewal.”
