Drones for Underwater Inspections

Overview

Reliable and Durable, our underwater viewing devices can serve a wide variety of valuable purposes for industries such as aquaculture, infrastructure, energy, military/security/police, shipping, commercial and salvage diving and underwater discovery. Examples include:

Infrastructure maintenance

Municipalities and service companies can use the ROV’s underwater remote camera to perform frequent inspections of stormwater/drain pipes, water tanks, sewer pipes, etc. to ensure the piping systems are functioning properly and are free of damage. Our ROVs are perfect for situations where powerful and portable underwater imaging is needed.

Video recording & streaming

ROVs record events in a specified area. This underwater video system can be beneficial for activities such as monitoring aquatic wildlife, conducting academic research or maintaining security at an undersea drilling platform or port. In addition, ROVs stream live video to the surface while being operated manually.

Hull inspections

Using the camera on our remote controlled underwater vehicles to perform hull inspections provides a cost-effective preventive maintenance step that can detect signs of minor hull damage before it can become a serious issue. One of the biggest benefits of using a remote operated underwater drone is the early detection of potentially destructive hull corrosion

Fishery/Aquaculture

Commercial fisheries and aquaculture farms can make use of our underwater observation ROVs for tasks such as inspecting predator nets for damage, inspecting mooring lines and other submerged infrastructure, monitoring fish health, feeding and behavior. Our unique mort retrieval tool provides a simple means of collecting a mort to perform diagnostics or aid the lift-up system.

Underwater Bridge Inspections with ROV Drones

Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV), or underwater drones, are establishing themselves as the ideal tool for underwater bridge inspections.
With the public safety in mind and to continue the flow of traffic, these overpasses must be monitored on a consistent basis. Evaluating the overall architecture on the surface for any signs of damage or deterioration which, includes underwater bridge inspections

The entire submerged exterior of the bridges’ piers and abutments are surveyed for signs of erosion, destruction, visual signs of distress, and to examine the scour.

Commercial Divers & Their Safety

Traditionally, commercial divers undergo the task of underwater bridge inspections. For employee safety, teams of three or more divers navigate below the water to not only inspect the bridge’s edifice but also monitor the other divers’ security.

Given the variety of environments, unsafe situations often keep divers out of the water. At times, the visibility within the water is low or after an object collides into the structure, divers must examine the damage through the scattered wreckage. In this instance, a couple different options present themselves: acoustic imaging or Remotely Operated Vehicle inspections.

ROV innovations have become synonymous with underwater asset inspections, specifically with assets in zero visibility water.

Working with ROV Technology

Rather than sending a team of divers to conduct underwater bridge inspections, commercial diving companies and municipalities send the drone below the surface first. Remotely Operated Vehicle versatility allows for acoustic imaging integration; giving the opportunity to survey the area for any obstructions or potential threats to the repair team and to give an overall picture of the integrity of the structure.

The underwater drone’s construct with 4 vectored thrusters gives it the ability to move laterally; this is specifically important in bridge inspections. The ROV is able to work against currents and hold its position facing the piers or other areas of interest.

With a unique pitching system, an ROV boasts unmatched maneuverability. Coupling with the 330-degree field of view with the rotating HD camera, the ROV proves to be the ideal solution to underwater bridge inspections. This inimitable construction allows the ROV to hold its position and scan entire area using the imaging sonar.

Once the inspection is complete revealing areas of interest, repairs to the structure may begin using commercial dive teams. The underwater drone acts as the supervisor on-site; from the surface, the ROV operator monitors the diver’s progress and safety through the live video feed on the controller. Additionally, the video feed can be recorded or captured as a still frame; as a result, this provides the opportunity to archive inspections for later review or to present to clients the before and after.

For its versatility, robustness, and portability, the ROV continues to establish itself as the ideal tool to complete underwater bridge inspections

Acoustic Imaging

ROVs can use acoustic imaging if required for strategising of diving operations by identifying areas damage; giving divers an area to concentrate their repair efforts. Moreover, acoustic imaging provides foresight to potential dangers in the water prior to sending in the dive team.

Enterprise Class Technology

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