An in-water survey of a ship located in Marseille has been supervised from Paris using a remotely operated drone. French classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) successfully completed the proof of concept project for underwater remote surveys using the Seasam technology eco-system from Notilo Plus on a Corsica linea ship, the Mediterrannee.
Efficient underwater inspection of shipping vessels is important for the industry as a substitute for docking surveys at agreed intervals 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 located in Marseille has been supervised from its head office in Paris.
The Seasam drone, sensors, and control system with Notilo Plus software has successfully demonstrated innovative and enhanced capabilities as one of the possible alternatives to the traditional diver in-water survey.
BV said that it has observed the following benefits:
- 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 analysing it to provide insightful hull management advice will make ship operations safer and reduce fuel consumption, as well as the industry’s environmental impact. Notilo Plus is proud to lead the way towards the digitalization of underwater asset management”.
Emmanuel Cesari, Head of Corsica linea’s superintendents said, “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. It could be a useful contribution to the know-how and expertise of our maintenance teams. Corsica linea’s social commitment is also reflected in our involvement in such projects, which are intended to promote French and local enterprises and their digitalization solutions serving the maritime economy”.
