25 Sep 2018

The ROBINS project aims to develop 3D reconstruction and image processing software tools

ROBINS (ROBotics technology for INspection of Ships) is a collaborative project co-funded by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 EU Research and Innovation programme. The project aims at filling the technology and regulatory gaps that today still represent a barrier to the adoption of Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) in activities related to inspection of ships.

CAD and image processing software tools play a key role in the RAS-assisted inspection loop. The software is expected to:

• devise a 3D numeric model of the confined space subject to inspection by means of image processing algorithms capable of combining together 2D pictures, and/or by means of meshing algorithms capable to devise textured meshes from point clouds and photographs;
• provide virtual tours of the space subject to inspection. The user should be given the possibility to examine accurately the details of interest by moving in the 3D virtual space and setting the orientation of its viewpoint according to his need, and having always a detailed rendering of the surface observed consistent with the viewpoint;
• provide the possibility to add hotspots and/or associate additional information to selected parts of the 3D model (augmented virtual reality model);
• identify critical or suspect areas from the analysis of visual data acquired during the inspection and highlight such areas in order to provide a valuable guidance to the surveyor.

The level of realism in the representation of inspected spaces is expected to be such as to allow the user to feel a satisfactory degree of presence in the virtual space. However, the quality of 3D models and augmented VR models, and hence the quality of the user’s virtual inspection, is strictly related to the quality of visual data taken by the aerial drone and additional data coming from probes and sensors carried by the drone or by the crawler.

Dedicated tools and algorithms for image processing will also be integrated to enhance the possibility of an effective and easy identification of critical or suspect areas in inspected spaces, thus creating a unified environment for virtual inspection.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 779776