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To take Nondestructive Testing (NDT) measurements at height, currently one may need to utilize

a lift, scaffolding, ladders or other solutions to reach areas on ships. bridges, aboveground

storage tanks, flare stacks and other infrastructure and industrial sites. This is both dangerous,

due to the possibility of falls, and time consuming. In certain instances, it may also require taking

assets, such as a flare stack, offline to allow it to cool so it can be accessed to take NDT readings.

Use of handheld digital testing devices are very common in these scenarios.

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THE EFFICACY OF AERIAL ROBOTIC SYSTEMS (DRONES)

FOR CONTACT BASED NDT AT HEIGHT

OPERATIONS

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Apellix has developed the technology to do Non-Destructive Testing at a level never seen

before. They have put an array of sensors on our platforms that come right to a specific location

and run a variety of tests. The tests might include determining the wall or coatings thickness and

can be done at heights unsafe for humans.

Moreover, the sensors can record weather variables such as; air temperature, dew point, and

humidity, gas levels such as; benzene, hydrocarbons, oxygen, and environmental variables such

as; the temperature and condition of the surface being tested… at each and every single location.

Conclusion: A company has developed a way to take DFT measurements at height by

transferring the handheld electronic DFT measurement device to an aerial robotic system. We

evaluated the efficacy of one of these systems in a simple use case consisting of taking DFT

measurements on a facsimile of a ship by asking the question; “Are DFT readings from an aerial

robotic system equivalent to those taken by a person”. We did this by taking 50 spot readings

using two methods to collect the readings, the manual and the aerial robotic system collection

methods.

One would expect there to be little difference between the value of the readings with the

robotic system vs. a person holding an electronic DFT measurement device and

the statistical proof agreed.

SELECT REFERENCES

* USTPO - Mobile computing device-based guidance navigation and control for unmanned

aerial vehicles and robotic systems US 20150344136 A1

* USTPO - Indoor and Outdoor Aerial Vehicles for Painting and Related Applications US

20150274294 A1

* The Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC) Marketplace. Standards, Paint Application (PA),

PA 2, Determining Compliance to Required DFT http://www.sspc.org/ST-000PA2

* Rob Francis “Dry Film Thickness Measurements: How Many Are Enough? A Close Look at

Four Major International Standards and Requirements” Paint Square News, pp 22-31, JPCL

December 2009

* International Organization for Standardization. ISO 19840:2012 Paints and varnishes --

Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems -- Measurement of, and

acceptance criteria for, the thickness of dry films on rough surfaces

* RESOLUTION MSC.215(82) (adopted on 8 December 2006) PERFORMANCE STANDARD

FOR PROTECTIVE COATINGS FOR DEDICATED SEAWATER BALLAST TANKS IN ALL

TYPES OF SHIPS AND DOUBLE-SIDE SKIN SPACES OF BULK CARRIERS

* Standards/AS-3894-3-2002-R2013--306255 Standards Australia is the nation's peak non-

government, not-for-profit Standards organization responsible for the development and adoption

of standards in Australia. They also facilitate Australian participation in international standards

development

* US OSHA Elimination of fall hazards is the first and best line of defense against falls from

heights https://www.osha.gov/dte/grant_materials/fy11/sh-22230-11/FallHazardManual.pdf

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and CONTACT

The Authors would like to thank APELLIX for access to their facilities and technology as well

as SSPC and ECNDT.

Bob Dahlstrom, CEO & Founder APELLIX r.dahlstrom@Apellix.com +1-904-476-3798

Jamie Branch, NDT Engineer, NACE, PE APELLIX jbranch@Apellix.com +1-904-476-3798

© 2018 Apellix Product discussed are covered by one or more U.S. patents and pending patent

applications.

An Aerial Robotics and Safety Company has developed a way to take DFT measurements at

height using computer controlled heavylift multi-rotor drones outfitted with various sensors and

functions to allow precisely controlled flight close to structures. Manual control of such systems

is unable to accomplish the precise flying and maneuvers require, thus software controlled flight

is crucial. These aerial robots utilize the existing electronics and digital probes to perform DFT

measurements. The DFT measurement electronic systems are identical those used for “manual”

measurements. This innovation was named a 2017 Corrosion Innovation of the year by the

National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)

1 Apellix Aerial Robotics, United States, r.dahlstrom@Apellix.com

2 Apellix Aerial Robotics, United States, jbranch@Apellix.com

Robert Dahlstrom1 and Jamie Branch NACE2

CONTACT NDT AT HEIGHTS USING AERIAL ROBOTICS

The Aerial Robotics DFT measurement system when configured for SSPS-PA2 DFT standards

works as follows:

: The tethered (for data and power) or untethered (battery power and wireless data) robotic

system is located close to the structure where DFT measurements are to be taken.

: The operator / pilot opens the computer or tablet and with the software interface chooses to

begin the test and enters the job information (operator, job name, upper and lower limits for

the DFT readings, etc.). In this example, it is set for SSPC-PA2 standards to take 5 spot

readings within a 10’ by 10’ area.

: The aerial robotic system takes off vertically to approximately 2 meters in height, hovers and

completes self-checks.

: The operator then uses a standard handheld radio frequency transmitter to manually fly the

system close to the where the DFT readings are to be taken. i.e. the “gate”.

: Once the aerial robotic system is within the “gate” (i.e. 2 meters from the target part of the

structure) the operator chooses “Start Test” on the software interface.

The system then operates under full computer control (no manual input allowed) fly’s in,

touches the surface with the probe and takes a minimum of three DFT measurement readings

(typically 1 to 5 seconds). It then backs away, repositions, and repeats the process until 5 spot

measurements have been recorded.