IQUA Robotics Validates AUV Use For Ship Hull Inspection Without Human Divers

IQUA Robotics has completed proof-of-concept tests showing that Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) can be used for ship hull inspections without relying on divers or tethered robots.

The trials were carried out under the ESCABVENTS project in collaboration with Zamakona Yards shipyard, as part of the Sail2future initiative.

The project is funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU program through PERTE NAVAL support managed by Spain’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism.

The work focused on improving current inspection methods, which usually depend on divers or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

These methods require constant human control and can be difficult to use in some conditions. In this project, the Sparus II AUV was used as a fully autonomous system that can scan the ship hull without direct operator control.

During the trials, the system demonstrated several important capabilities. The vehicle used multibeam sonar to detect the shape of the hull in real time and adjust its position to maintain a constant distance.

It followed a “lawnmower” navigation pattern to cover the entire inspection area in a structured way and collect images of the hull.

Safety systems were also tested, allowing the vehicle to move away automatically to a safe area if a failure occurs, reducing the risk of getting trapped under the vessel.

The tests were carried out in real port conditions with the support of Zamakona Yards and Reparaciones Navales Canarias. Data was collected from four different vessels, including fishing, research, and defense ships.

The system was able to generate 3D reconstructions of the hull with centimetric resolution. This makes it possible to identify corrosion, marine growth (biofouling), and damage to paint.

The system performed well on uniform sections of the hull but faced difficulties in areas with complex shapes, such as the stern, where propellers and rudders create acoustic reflections that affect sonar tracking.

There were also issues in capturing images along the sides of the vessel due to strong light contrast, which caused underexposed images.

To address these issues, the next steps include developing new payloads with multiple cameras and artificial lighting to improve image quality.

The team also plans to explore the use of 3D sonar to better detect sudden changes in the hull shape and improve navigation control.

Reference: iquarobotics