Ship Inspection Robot
The Ship Inspection Robot is intended to simplify the inspection process for huge cargo vessels and thus help cut costs. In particular, it should increase security for inspectors as they will no longer have to climb into every nook and cranny of the vessel themselves.
In 2012/13 an interdisciplinary team of ten students developed the Ship Inspection Robot as part of a focus project during their fifth and sixth semesters. The robot is able to manoeuvre itself on vertical steel structures and climb the stiffening profiles in the ballast tanks of cargo vessels. It has a pan-tilt camera to visually inspect structures for signs of corrosion, leaks and abnormalities. With one battery charge, the robot can move 500 metres and inspect about 20 % of a cargo ship’s ballast tanks. It is remote-controlled based on radio Ethernet and a live video stream. Even an untrained user can easily control the robot with a game pad or a touch screen GUI.
Impressions and related material:
