In a standout example of cross-company innovation, AUAV, Sonomatic and Geo Oceans have successfully delivered a highly specialised inspection campaign that combined advanced robotics, drone technology, and inspection expertise—under a single contract.
The scope involved a fully integrated NDT solution to investigate previous visual inspection results on a bulkhead in a cargo tank on an operating FPSO. AUAV and Geo Oceans deployed the Sonomatic Robotic Magnetic Crawler into the tank to conduct the inspection, which had been custom modified to suit the unique tank environment by Sonomatic’s E2i division. AUAV operated the SCOUT DI 137 UAV using BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) conditions to support navigation and positioning on the project.
The results of the inspection were conclusive, and the entire operation was completed with less than one man-hour of confined space entry and saved the client a costly shipyard maintenance and repair campaign with weeks of lost production.
This project demonstrates the powerful synergy across the group—bringing together robotics, innovation, UAVs, and inspection services in one streamlined, high-performance solution and future use cases are already underway with our client, expanding to other structural locations on the asset.
It’s a clear win for the client—and a milestone worth celebrating across the group.
