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Scout Drones accepted for membership in Ocean Autonomy Cluster - Ocean Autonomy Cluster

Written by anniken | Aug 21, 2020 6:02:34 AM

Scout Drone Inspection is a spin-out of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and has high competence within cybernetics, software systems and robotics.

Scout Drones Inspection’s vision is to develop a complete digital process for inspection of tanks and indoor industrial assets using drones that can navigate safely in confined spaces without the use of GPD. Every day, thousands of industrial assets are inspected manually. To demonstrate, a tank in an oil refinery must be regularly inspected for cracks and corrosion. Similar, ship’s storage and ballast tanks must be inspected at least every five years due to requirements from the International Maritime Organization- IMO. The inspections are traditionally done by using scaffolding or climbing teams which is both costly, time consuming and expose the inspectors to health and safety risk (e.g. risk of falling, toxic gases, radiation or extreme temperatures).

Due to these challenges Scout Drone Inspection has developed a drone that is especially suitable for navigating in confined spaces, in addition to avoiding the risk associated with human inspectors. The drone uses a 3D laser scanner that map out the surroundings in real time and at the same time locates the drone without using GPS. The goal is to make the inspections more efficient and safer for surveyors, and deliver the same quality while minimizing operational downtime for the customers.

We welcome Scout Drones to the cluster, and look forward to working together!