A robot that can inspect the ballast water tanks onboard ships will soon be used in the shipping industry.

Developed by a team of Dutch and German companies and universities, including the University of Twente in the Netherlands, RoboShip is an on-rails robot that intelligently inspects a ship’s tanks for potential damage.

The robot, which will be integrated into all future ships built in the Meyer Weft shipyard in Germany, will replace human inspectors, offering significant cost savings and improving safety.

Ballast water tanks are filled with seawater to help ships keep stable while at sea, however the seawater can corrode steel in the ship’s structure, meaning the tanks need to be inspected on a regular basis.

At present, inspections are performed by people, at great risk and great cost. A single inspection can total a whopping €700,000 ($870,000), making the process an expensive part of ship maintenance.

In a regular human inspection, six inspectors will need to enter the tank to inspect it, during which time they risk injuring themselves by falling, or breathing in noxious gases emitted by rotting seaweed trapped in the tanks.

Not only will the robot help reduce potential injury, but it removes the need to dock when inspections are carried out.

The robot can inspect the ship while it is out at sea, and any repairs it flags up as being needed can be booked for the next time the ship docks.

It is also much more efficient than human inspectors, as it can move round the tank faster than humans on specially installed rails than also supply it with power.

Inspection data is transmitted directly to a screen elsewhere on the ship for analysis and action, ensuring humans still have a role in the process.

University of Twente Robotics and Mechatronics department doctoral degree candidate Dian Boregerink, who developed the RoboShip’s robotic arm, explained how unpleasant the ballast tank environment was for humans.

“I have had the opportunity of seeing the inside of a freighter’s ballast water tank,” he said.

“After a voyage, it is slippery with seaweed and is full of noxious gases. Tanks like these are almost inaccessible due to ribs, pipes and cables.

“Realising that people actually need to go into them to carry out inspection work was what motivated me to develop the robotic arm.”

Inline image one courtesy of University of Twente.