The use of drones for the inspection of hard to access locations in FPSO tanks is now well established, and MTL are working with our many clients globally defining inspection scopes for drones, interpreting inspection data and making recommendations where anomalies are identified.
Our knowledge and understanding of what can and cannot be achieved using this technology has its roots in a study carried out by MTL well over 3 years ago when we developed simulation tools that allowed us to experiment and understand where drones can best be used for inspection tasks…..
Looking back at the key findings from that study, we see that all of the conclusions that we reached are today the reality of how drones can add value to the inspection process.
Integrating the data collected by drones in real time using our PYXIS software significantly improving the quality and context of inspection data and significantly reducing the time needed to collate inspection data is yet another demonstration of MTL’s commitment to embracing technology and driving value for our clients.
Here is a proof of concept showing how we’ve integrated the controls for the camera and video feed directly into our digital inspection platform PYXIS Inspector allowing Surveyors to get the best possible footage and images during the inspection that are then directly associated with the inspection task.
Further technology developments will be needed to “crack the nut” of fully autonomous tank inspections, but MTL are closely following the technology disruptors and developing our software to support these advances as and when they are realised.