ShipTest · Project

Robotic Crawler That Inspects Ship Hull Welds Without Dry-Docking

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Imagine you own a massive cargo ship and every few years you have to pull it out of the water, build scaffolding around it, and send inspectors to check over 120 kilometers of welds by hand — costing you €150,000 and weeks of lost revenue each time. ShipTest built a robotic crawler that can do this job automatically while the ship is still at sea. It uses lasers to follow the weld lines and advanced ultrasonic techniques to spot defects, even on the thin metal plates modern ships use — no dangerous X-ray equipment needed.

By the numbers

23,000

European ship fleet vessels

€147bn

EU GDP contribution from marine industry

1.7m

Jobs supported by marine industry

120km

Safety-critical weld length in large vessels

€150k+

Cost per conventional inspection

€47.7m

Projected cumulative business growth over 5 years

€19.04m

Projected profits over 5 years

398

Projected direct jobs created

1,185

Projected indirect jobs created

The business problem

What needed solving

Ship hull weld inspections are expensive, dangerous, and disruptive. Regulations require inspections every 2.5 to 5 years, but conventional methods need the ship in dry-dock with scaffolding and manual inspectors — costing over €150,000 per inspection plus lost revenue. Modern thin-hulled ships make it worse: standard ultrasonic tools cannot handle plates under 10mm, forcing the use of hazardous radiographic techniques.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a final commercial version of ShipTest — a laser-guided robotic crawler that automatically tracks welds and inspects ship hulls using advanced ultrasonic and electromagnetic techniques. It works on thin metal plates under 10mm without radiography, and can operate while the ship is at sea.

Audience

Who needs this

Ship owners and fleet management companies with large vessel portfoliosShipyards and marine repair facilities performing hull maintenanceNDT inspection service providers serving the maritime sectorMaritime classification societies and insurance underwritersOffshore energy companies managing inspection of marine structures

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Shipping & Maritime Transport

enterprise

Target: Ship owners and fleet operators managing large vessel fleets

If you are a shipping company dealing with costly dry-docking inspections every 2.5 to 5 years — this project developed a robotic crawler that automatically tracks and inspects hull welds while your vessel stays at sea. With conventional inspections costing more than €150k per vessel and weld lengths exceeding 120km on large ships, this technology could dramatically cut your downtime and inspection costs.

Non-Destructive Testing Services

any

Target: NDT service providers offering inspection to maritime clients

If you are an NDT service provider struggling with the limitations of conventional ultrasonic techniques on metal plates thinner than 10mm — this project developed a system combining ultrasonic and electromagnetic methods that works on thin plates without dangerous radiography. This lets you offer safer, faster inspections and win contracts that previously required radiographic techniques.

Shipbuilding & Repair

mid-size

Target: Shipyards performing hull maintenance and certification inspections

If you are a shipyard handling weld inspections during scheduled maintenance — this project built an automated laser-guided robot that replaces manual scaffolding-based inspections. With Europe's fleet of 23,000 vessels requiring periodic inspections, automating the process means you can serve more clients with shorter turnaround times.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much does a traditional ship hull inspection cost, and what savings can this offer?

According to the project data, conventional ship hull inspections cost more than €150,000 per inspection due to dry-docking, scaffolding, and manual labor. ShipTest eliminates the need for dry-docking by performing inspections while the ship is at sea, which should significantly reduce both direct costs and lost revenue from downtime.

Can this technology work at industrial scale across large vessel fleets?

The system was designed for industrial deployment. The European ship fleet counts 23,000 vessels, and regulations require inspections every 5 years for the first decade and every 2.5 years after. The consortium projected cumulative business growth of €47.7m over 5 years, indicating they planned for large-scale commercial rollout.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can I license or buy this technology?

The IP sits with the consortium led by I Dimoulis & Co (Greece), which includes NDT equipment providers Spectrum Labs and Tecnitest, robotics company Innora, and TWI. Licensing or purchase inquiries should be directed to the consortium partners. Lloyd's Register was involved as a maritime service provider.

Does this meet maritime regulatory requirements for hull inspections?

The project involved Lloyd's Register, one of the most established maritime classification societies with 230 years of experience. Their participation suggests the technology was developed with regulatory compliance in mind, though specific certifications should be confirmed directly with the consortium.

What types of ships and hull materials can this inspect?

ShipTest was specifically designed to inspect metal plates thinner than 10mm, which are increasingly used in modern ships to reduce weight. It combines ultrasonic and electromagnetic techniques, eliminating the need for radiographic methods that conventional systems require for thin plates.

How long has this technology been in development and is it ready to deploy?

The project ran from November 2016 to October 2019 as an Innovation Action. The deliverables include a 'Final ShipTest commercial version,' indicating the technology reached commercial readiness by project end. The consortium projected 398 direct jobs from commercialization.

Consortium

Who built it

The ShipTest consortium is strongly industry-driven: 4 out of 5 partners are industry players (80%), with 3 being SMEs, spread across Greece, Spain, and the UK. The coordinator I Dimoulis & Co is a Greek SME. The consortium was assembled to cover the full value chain — Spectrum Labs and Tecnitest bring NDT equipment and services expertise, Innora contributes robotics capability, and TWI is a global leader in NDT technology. Critically, Lloyd's Register (the "Other" partner) adds 230 years of maritime classification authority, which is essential for regulatory acceptance. No universities or research organizations are involved, signaling this was purely a commercialization effort.

TECNITEST INGENIEROS SLparticipant · ES
IKNOWHOW SAparticipant · EL
LLOYD'S REGISTER EMEAparticipant · UK
TWI LIMITEDparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

The coordinator is I Dimoulis & Co EE (Greece). Key consortium partners include Spectrum Labs, Tecnitest, Innora, and TWI. Contact SciTransfer for a warm introduction.

Order a report on this consortium

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how automated weld inspection can cut your dry-docking costs? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the ShipTest team and help evaluate fit for your fleet.

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