FEATURE
HOW ROVS ARE UTILIZING IMAGING AND AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES TO INNOVATE OFFSHORE INSPECTIONS BY RILEY KOOH
ABSTRACT
The adoption of robotics and imaging technology is becoming increasingly more common in the management of critical infrastructure, making submersible remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) crucial tools for asset management in energy, infrastructure and aquaculture industries. Using ROVs, operators can remotely monitor assets and assess changes over time to ensure structural integrity, efficiency and effectiveness while saving money, time and keeping personnel safe. The use of a variety of imaging and modeling technologies on ROVs such as stereo cameras, sonar and lasers allow operators to capture data and build models to compare degradation and changes over time. Using cloud-based software, operators and engineers can share, view and compare their underwater missions in great detail, even through
murky or turbid water conditions. Using the latest modeling and positioning software, this crucial data can then be tracked and monitored over time. The resulting information provides asset management teams with invaluable insight to optimize their asset management practices. In addition to gathering advanced data to enhance asset management in a variety of industries, ROV pilots will be able to remotely deploy and control the vehicle to inspect submerged infrastructure from anywhere in the world. Autonomy, remote technologies and progressive web applications continue to advance and empower operators to pilot their ROV beyond line of sight to improve remote operations. Relying on case studies from aquaculture and energy industries, Deep Trekker’s presentation will provide real life examples of ROV use to illustrate how emerging technologies can greatly augment asset management. More specifiSEPTEMBER 2022 | ISSUE 126
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