NoMan® – Remote Inspections for Confined Spaces
NoMan® confined space inspection system
Europe Patent No: EP3452795
Africa (ARIPO) App No: AP/P/2018/011168
USA Patent No: 10,871,455 B2
Please refer to the Innovations / Patents and Trademarks section of this Website for further information
The challenge
Confined space inspections, involving man-entry, is a hazardous and costly activity. One involving many man-hours and extended periods of equipment out of service.
The solution: NoMan remote inspection
NoMan® is a revolutionary new method for remote confined space inspections such as cargo oil and water ballast tanks, pressure vessels, and other critical components.
NoMan® uses optical and laser systems, introduced remotely into a confined space. They scan the structure and provide detailed integrity information including deformation, coating condition, general and close visual, thickness measurements and pitting surveys… all without human-entry for complete robotic inspection of confined spaces.
How does it work?
The NoMan optical system uses a high-performance video and still camera system, with integral multiple-angle lighting systems. This allows NoMan® to capture general and close up visual images in clear detail to meet stringent class requirements.
The NoMan® optical camera is inserted through deck openings in pre-planned locations and the camera lowered into position on a robotic manipulator.
NoMan® optical has powerful optical and digital zoom, pan and tilt capabilities enabling general visual and close visual inspection of critical components. The robotic arm is used to position the camera to avoid shadow areas.
The NoMan laser unit is also inserted through deck openings and located either on the tank bottom or suspended under deck from where the robotic arm can position the scanner in pre-determined locations to gather point-cloud data.
The benefits of NoMan remote inspection
The system improves safety and reduces the risks and costs associated with tank preparation for human-entry by operating a completely remote tank inspection.
NoMan® is quick and uses a 2-person team, which reduces out of service time, offshore bedspace, costs, travel and carbon emissions.
Unlike crawlers, NoMan® does not damage coatings, is far faster and with negligible risk of getting stuck or having to navigate complex structures.
NoMan® is not restricted by battery life, with intrinsically safe optical scanners. It does not need human-entry to pilot, and always knows exactly where it is and what it is ‘looking’ at.
Is it Proven?
The optical inspection element of NoMan® has already been proven. The system is class approved and has been used since 2016 on tanks, pressure vessels and turrets.
The laser technology is also proven, and we will be demonstrating it and the robotic deployment methods in early December 2020. So that class approvals can be sought soon afterwards.
