Robotic inspection of ship hull surfaces using a magnetic crawler and a monocular camera

Periodic inspection of large tonnage vessels is critical to assess integrity and prevent structural failures that could have catastrophic consequences for people and the environment. Currently, inspection operations are undertaken by human surveyors, often in extreme conditions. This paper presents an innovative system for the automatic visual inspection of ship hull surfaces, using a Magnetic Climbing Robot (MARC) equipped with a low-cost monocular camera.