MOL tests underwater drone for hull inspection

A remotely operated subsea vehicle was used to inspect the hull’s submerged areas on a MOL Marine-operated cable-laying ship.

   MOL announced Tuesday it has tested the use of an underwater drone for hull inspection.
   A remotely operated subsea vehicle (subsea ROV) was used to inspect the submerged areas of the hull on an MOL Marine-operated cable-laying ship.
   Divers usually conduct such inspections, but weather and sea conditions can affect the work and possibly lead to longer lead times and higher costs, MOL said in a statement.
   “The demonstration test clearly showed the viability of checking for faults and damage to submerged outboard equipment and determining the status of damage to the ship bottom using a subsea ROV,” MOL said.
   “As a result of the demonstration test, the participants confirmed the operability of the subsea ROV and the precision of the video images and also verified the method’s efficiency, safety and reliability as an alternative to conventional inspection.”
   A video of the demonstration may be viewed below.