Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has launched a new advanced tool powered by AI and machine learning to optimise anomaly detection and localisation for ship and offshore structure inspections.
BV earlier completed a successful proof-of-concept pilot with TotalEnergies on a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit in West Africa.
During the pilot, a drone-based inspection of two water ballast tanks was conducted. Using the new Augmented Surveyor 3D (AGS 3D) to process all of the data, the survey generated a detailed 3D digital model with AI-enhanced corrosion analytics.
The AGS 3D solution reportedly improves safety and efficiency by automating key tasks such as anomaly detection, corrosion mapping, and 3D modelling. Following the pilot, TotalEnergies will consider extending the solution to other assets.
Drone-based surveys generate large amounts of data, including images, videos, and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scans, the processing of which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
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By integrating AI technology, AGS 3D automatically detects anomalies in images and videos captured by drones, mapping them onto a 3D digital model created from point cloud data collected by a LiDAR sensor on the drone.
This approach aims to streamline inspections, reduce human exposure to confined spaces, and provide precise defect localisation, offering actionable insights for maintenance teams.
Suitable for use across various marine and offshore sectors, including FPSOs, FSOs, in-service ships, and floating offshore wind, the AGS 3D tool enables 360-degree visualisation, optimised maintenance planning, data-driven decision-making, and a collaborative workspace for inspection teams, serving as a complement to classification surveys.
Final deliverables, such as LiDAR-based drone inspections, AI-driven corrosion detection, automatic defect localisation, and a unified 3D dataset, are reviewed by AGS experts to ensure quality.
Matthieu de Tugny, President of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said: “Precise localisation of defects is critical for effective investigation, maintenance planning, and ongoing monitoring.
“With AGS 3D, we are now able to automatically detect and localise defects, marking a significant step forward in remote inspection technologies and augmented survey. This innovation further supports stakeholders in optimising asset integrity management and inspection workflows.”
