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BugWright2 · Project

Autonomous Robots That Inspect and Clean Ship Hulls Without Dry-Docking

transportPilotedTRL 7
bugwright2.eu

Imagine sending a team of flying drones, underwater robots, and magnetic crawlers to inspect a ship's hull — the way you'd check a car body for rust, but on a vessel the size of a building, mostly underwater. These robots work together: drones and underwater vehicles scan the big picture while wall-climbing crawlers do the close-up inspection and cleaning, detecting corrosion and damage with cameras and sound waves. The whole operation shows up in a virtual reality display so an operator can supervise everything in real time without scaffolding, divers, or pulling the ship out of water. Originally built for ships, the same technology works on any large metal structure like oil storage tanks.

By the numbers
23
consortium partners across full inspection value chain
10
countries represented in the consortium
10
industry partners including shipowners, harbors, and shipyard
8
demonstrated deliverables with field tests and end-user evaluations
3
types of cooperating robots: drones, underwater vehicles, and magnetic crawlers
2
application domains validated: ship hulls and storage tanks
The business problem

What needed solving

Ship hull inspection today means expensive dry-docking, dangerous diving operations, or scaffolding — all of which take vessels out of service and put people at risk. Manual inspection of large metal structures like storage tanks faces the same problems: high cost, safety hazards, and inconsistent coverage. There is no widely deployed autonomous system that can provide comprehensive hull inspection while the ship remains in water.

The solution

What was built

A coordinated multi-robot inspection system combining aerial drones, autonomous underwater vehicles, and magnetic-wheeled surface crawlers that work together to scan, inspect, and clean ship hulls and storage tanks. The system includes VR-based real-time mission monitoring, augmented reality for maintenance guidance, acoustic tomography for structural assessment, and automated mission planning — all demonstrated in large-scale field pilots with end-users.

Audience

Who needs this

Ship owners and fleet operators managing hull maintenance schedulesTank farm operators inspecting large metal storage structuresClassification societies modernizing survey and certification processesPort authorities and harbor operators offering inspection servicesMarine service companies expanding into robotic inspection
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Maritime Shipping
enterprise
Target: Ship owners and fleet operators

If you are a ship owner spending heavily on dry-docking and manual hull inspections — this project developed a multi-robot system combining drones, underwater vehicles, and magnetic crawlers that inspect hulls autonomously. The system was demonstrated in large-scale pilots with 2 shipowners and 2 harbors from the 23-partner consortium. It detects corrosion patches and cleans surfaces with minimal human intervention, potentially reducing inspection downtime significantly.

Oil & Gas Storage
mid-size
Target: Tank farm operators and petrochemical storage companies

If you are a storage tank operator dealing with costly manual inspection shutdowns — this project built autonomous crawling robots that detect corrosion on large metal plate structures using visual and acoustic methods. The technology was field-tested and evaluated by end-users across 10 countries. Storage tanks are explicitly identified as the secondary application domain, meaning adaptation requires minimal engineering effort.

Marine Classification & Insurance
enterprise
Target: Classification societies and marine surveyors

If you are a classification society looking to modernize ship certification processes — this project included 1 class society partner specifically to evaluate robotic inspection for certification use. The system produces detailed visual and acoustic data integrated into a VR decision-support interface, creating auditable digital records. With 8 demonstrated deliverables covering multi-robot inspection planning and execution, this could transform how survey evidence is collected and reviewed.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy this robotic inspection system?

The project data does not include pricing or per-inspection cost figures. As an Innovation Action with 23 partners including 2 SMEs building commercial robotics, pricing would depend on fleet size, inspection frequency, and whether you buy or lease the robot teams. Contact the consortium for commercial terms.

Can this scale to inspect an entire commercial fleet?

The system was designed for scalability — it uses teams of cooperating robots (drones, underwater vehicles, and crawlers) with automated mission planning. Large-scale pilot demonstrations were completed with real shipowners and harbors. The multi-robot planning system was specifically demonstrated to outperform single-robot inspection.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can we license it?

IP is distributed across the 23-partner consortium spanning 10 countries, including 10 industry partners and 3 SMEs. As a publicly funded EU project, exploitation plans are required. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with relevant consortium members — the coordinator is CNRS in France.

Does this meet classification society requirements for hull surveys?

A classification society was included as a consortium partner specifically to evaluate the technology against certification processes. The project also included maritime law specialists to address regulatory acceptance. Based on available project data, the system was designed around regulatory compliance from the start.

How long does a robotic inspection take compared to traditional methods?

The project data does not provide specific time comparisons. However, the system combines aerial survey (global overview) with surface crawlers (detailed inspection) operating simultaneously, and the objective states it works with minimal user intervention. The multi-robot approach was demonstrated to improve coverage versus single-robot operation.

Can this integrate with our existing ship maintenance workflows?

The project included 1 shipyard partner to deploy the system within existing maintenance operations, plus augmented reality tools for assisted maintenance were field-tested with end-users. A VR-based mission planning interface was developed and evaluated for professional suitability, suggesting it was designed for real operational environments.

Is the technology ready for commercial deployment today?

The project closed in March 2024 after large-scale pilot demonstrations with end-users. As an EU Innovation Action, it targeted near-market readiness. With 8 demonstrated deliverables including field tests and end-user evaluations, the core technology has been validated in operational environments. Commercial availability depends on individual consortium partners' exploitation plans.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavyweight consortium of 23 partners across 10 countries, with an unusually complete value chain for commercialization. The 10 industry partners (43% of the consortium) include the exact buyers you'd want on board: 2 shipowners who need inspections, 2 harbors that host them, 1 shipyard for maintenance integration, 1 classification society for regulatory validation, and 1 marine service provider. The 3 SMEs likely hold key robotic technology. With 9 universities and 4 research organizations providing the science, plus maritime law and workplace psychology specialists ensuring real-world adoption, this consortium was built to move technology from lab to port — not just publish papers. Coordinated by CNRS (France), one of Europe's largest research institutions.

How to reach the team

Coordinated by CNRS (France). The consortium includes 10 industry partners — SciTransfer can identify the right commercial contact for your specific need.

Order a report on this consortiumSee CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore robotic inspection for your fleet or storage facility? SciTransfer can connect you with the right BugWright2 partner for your use case — whether that's the robot manufacturers, the classification society, or the shipyard integrator.

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