Hanwha Ocean announced on Feb. 20 that it has developed a system that uses drones and AI technology to capture and measure the draft of ships.
The technology utilizes drones to capture drafts and AI systems to complete measurement tasks such as weight and warping of ships in real time. The developed system will improve the efficiency of draft measurement and contribute to enhancing the safety of ship operations.
Draft is the depth to which the hull sinks when the vessel is floating on the water and is the vertical distance from the bottom of the hull to the water surface. As a vessel's cargo load increases, the depth of draft increases and the risk of the vessel sinking increases, so it is important to know the vessel's limit load through the draft line.
Typically, ships are commissioned after completion of construction, and Draft measurement is essential to identify center of gravity and weight-related issues that may arise during this process.
Hanwha Ocean's drone draft imaging system will allow one person to perform the work that previously required three to four people. This will significantly reduce the measurement time from two hours to 30 minutes or less.
"Shipyards have been using boats to measure draft at six points around the ship," said an official from Hanwha Ocean. "The drone measurement system allows us to significantly improve safety as the work is carried out at sea."
The technology has been validated for accuracy in more than 100 trials across all ship types. Hanwha Ocean aims to obtain classification certification for the technology in the first half of the year and apply it to actual ships. The company has already applied for domestic patents and is in the process of applying for overseas patents.
Hanwha Ocean plans to increase productivity and improve safety with robotics and automation, and to transform the entire shipyard into a giant smart yard based on big data to secure an overwhelming competitive edge for sustainable growth.
