Earlier this year, SKYRON was the first flying robot to perform contact-based Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) inspection on an offshore platform. The inspected offshore platform, a large, isolated structure surrounded by water, is one of the largest in the world. Such robotic NDT inspection ensured the crew's safety compared to conventional methods.
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floating production storage and offloading
In conventional NDT inspection, inspectors use rope access for difficult-to-reach spots on offshore platforms. Rope access grants accessibility to locations; however, it costs unnecessary time and money, and even more, the method puts inspectors in dangerous positions.
SKYRON offers a safe, timely, and cost-efficient solution for NDT inspection. The Tethered Flying Robot only needs a two-member crew to conduct a contact-based and visual inspection. SKYRON performs contact-based examination by attaching to the targeted surfaces, providing a secure and stable placement for accurate measurements.
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SKYRON performing ultrasonic thickness measurements
The offshore tank's hot temperature and high humidity made the inspection mission more challenging. Operation in a humid environment at temperatures greater than 35° C can cause heat exhaustion risks, potentially leading to heat stroke. The inspectors knew that they had to use as little movement as possible. If the job used conventional methods, the inspection team would need to move scaffolding equipment down the hatch, set it up, and climb to reach the required measurement location. Thankfully, the inspectors using SKYRON did not require the same amount of physical effort. After entering the confined space with the equipment, the Avestec crew set SKYRON up, and within fifteen minutes, it was flying. The inspectors piloted and inspected
