Automated Inspection: The Future of Underwater Asset Monitoring
In industries like offshore energy, wind, oil & gas, shipping, and infrastructure, underwater inspections are critical. They ensure safety, prevent costly failures, and allow proactive maintenance. But traditional inspection methods—commercial diving, manned vessels, or remote inspection with limited automation—are expensive, risky, time‐consuming, and subject to human error.
Automated Inspection with advanced underwater drone technology is changing that. Using this approach, industrial assessments and investigations can be done more safely, more accurately, and more efficiently.
Key Features
Here are the standout capabilities:
FeatureWhy It Matters3D reality captureCreates highly accurate digital models of underwater structures. Useful for tracking damage over time, planning interventions, and sharing data with stakeholders.Integrated imaging sonarsWater visibility can be poor. Sonars allow inspections even when light or visibility are limited, greatly extending the window for reliable inspections.Centimeter-level georeferencing precisionWhen tracking damage or wear, you need precise comparisons across time. High accuracy means you can detect subtle shifts or deterioration before they become serious.Environmental sensors (current, pressure, temperature, oxygen, etc.)Not just structural: conditions matter. Gathering data on the environment helps in understanding corrosion rates, fatigue, or other risks. It adds context to the data.
Use Cases
Automated inspection fits into two broad spheres:
Industrial Inspection
For facilities that are in operation—offshore platforms, underwater pipelines, wind turbine foundations, ports, etc.—you need regular checks to avoid failures, leaks, or structural collapses. The ability to monitor while in operation, inspect in challenging visibility, and produce precise models makes maintenance more proactive rather than reactive.Investigation & Exploration
When the task is more exploratory—searching for sensitive materials, investigating damage, exploring wrecks or difficult‐to‐access areas—precision 3D capture plus extra sensors helps build a full picture. Whether for forensic work, research, or accident investigations, the tools help reduce ambiguity.
Benefits & Value Proposition
Reduced Risk to Human Divers: Dangerous underwater tasks, strong currents, low visibility, cold water—all pose risks. Automating the work with drones keeps people safer.
Operational Continuity: Inspections can often be done without shutting down facilities, because the drones work while infrastructure is operating. Less downtime means cost savings.
Cost Savings Over Time: While there’s upfront investment, automated inspection reduces recurring costs of human labor, mobilization, safety gear, and delays due to weather or visibility.
Better Data, Better Decisions: High‐resolution mapping, repeated precise measurements, environmental data—these combine to give operators clearer insight into when interventions are needed. Rather than reacting to overt damage, you can act before catastrophic failures.
Scalability & Frequency: Automated inspections can be carried out more frequently, at lower marginal cost, enabling continuous monitoring rather than occasional checks.
Challenges & Considerations
No technology is without limitations or trade-offs. Some things to keep in mind:
Initial Costs & Integration: Getting drones, imaging systems, software, and training in place will require investment. Integrating into existing maintenance workflows may need changes.
Data Management: Collecting high volumes of detailed 3D and environmental data means you need robust systems for storage, processing, analysis, and archiving.
Sensor & Drone Robustness: In harsh marine environments—strong currents, biofouling, corrosion—equipment reliability is a concern. Maintenance of the drones themselves must be factored in.
Regulatory & Safety Compliance: Subsea operations are heavily regulated. Autonomous systems must meet local and international safety standards, environmental rules, etc.
Environmental Conditions & Access: Some areas may still be hard to reach; under extreme conditions drones may still struggle (e.g. very turbid water, high currents, obstructions).
Looking Ahead
As underwater robotics, sensors, AI and mapping continue to improve, we can expect:
Real-time anomaly detection: Systems that automatically detect corrosion, cracks, or deformation from the data stream.
Autonomous repeat missions: Preplanned inspection paths run on schedule, even in adverse conditions.
Better collaboration: Sharing 3D models with offsite experts, integrating GIS data, predictive maintenance platforms.
Lowering cost and size: More compact, cheaper drones and sensors, making the technology available to more operators (ports, small aquaculture farms, municipal infrastructure).
Conclusion
Automated Inspection is a powerful example of how robotics and AI are transforming underwater maintenance and exploration. For any organization with submerged assets—pipelines, marine infrastructure, ship hulls, wind turbine foundations, etc.—this approach offers safer, more cost-effective, and more informative inspections.
For operators, it represents a shift from reactive repairs toward predictive maintenance, leveraging more frequent, higher-quality data, and reducing risk for both people and infrastructure.
Learn more about Tethys here: https://www.sepcotech.com/tethys-one
