During the first period of ShipTest, most of the weight fell on better defining what was technically required from “Spectre-X”, the name chosen for the robotic system. From the time the proposal was submitted, technological advances in NDT electronics allowed for a much more compact system to be developed. It was agreed from the onset of the project that to make the Spectre-X commercially viable the level of miniaturization required to make it robust enough for real-world use would require a complete redesign and use of board-level electronics. Although the penalty for a complete redesign in terms of time was significant, the Consortium took the decision to proceed and the construction of the first unit is expected to finish in the last week of February 2018.
The system is built from the ground up as a reconfigurable platform. The basic platform is underwater operations capable. The platform is currently produced in three distinct forms i.e.: a) a welding inspection with automatic weld centreline tracking, b) a corrosion mapping system and c) an underwater inspection mode.
Work on WP2, the unification of the software that controls the four distinct subsystems of Spectre-X, the redesign of the main Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the development of a cloud infrastructure software to organise, secure and streamline inspection data during a Spectre-X field deployment by the clients, started. The Cloud software platform prepared by IKH/TWI in WP2 was rolled out in October 2017.
During the second reporting period, work began on testing. Demonstrations started being arranged in parallel with testing. A third-party Agency was chosen to examine the system for CE marking, WP4. System manuals and other pieces of system documentation started being populated. A series of events have been attended to assist the dissemination and marketing of Spectre-X, WP5, among which the most important were Posidonia 2018 and ECNDT 2018. The potential of the system was positive but the time to reach the level of readiness expected was more than the 24 months, the original project duration and given that the certification was taking a longer than initially forecast, a project extension was requested to 36 months.
During the third and final reporting period, more exposure was sought, attending and organizing events for the system’s dissemination and preparation for commercialization, WP5. A LinkedIn page has been set and videos posts were created. The Agency that was chosen for system CE examination provided feedback that triggered a number of modifications – some of a considerable significance – that were fully implemented, WP4. Additionally, a roadmap to the recognition of Spectre-X by Classification Societies was paved. All the required preparations, such as system validation with reference plates containing artificial defects and inspection procedures, for an independent surveyor’s system assessment were made, WP4. Field testing continued covering ships in operation and a submarine pressure hull, WP3. A worldwide distribution network of dealers and distributors has been set-up complete with arranged commission deals, WP6. Furthermore, following demonstrations further requests came for more demonstrations. We have received also requests-for-service, that were left to be materialized after the end of the project.
