That's being driven more by regulatory issues-ships needing more frequent inspections, largely due to safety and environmental issues. That's driving an opportunity for inspection technology and that's what's driving us. Figure 2a and 2b. Imetrix offers several different telerobotic vehicles, from the Talon ROV to the Lamp Ray. The Lamp Ray actually drives on the hull surface.
Underwater thrusters create a pressure differential, sucking the vehicle against the hull.
Once attached, wheels propel the Lamp Ray along. The Lamp Ray offers a suite of sensors, including ultrasonic transceivers for gauging hull thickness and voltage probes to measure corrosion potential. It also uses optical techniques such as a pair of video cameras that allow the operator to navigate the robot around the vehicle as well as image the hull directly under the Lamp Ray, measuring chips and cracks as low as 50 thousandths of an inch deep. A pair of lasers, from a red semiconductor laser, can also project light points on the hull. Using a video image of the reflected light, Imetrix can deduce the exact scale of a paint fleck or other hull defect that would normally lead to more expensive repairs, if not discovered early.