Testing and demonstrating inspection drones
Checking a storage tank from the inside used to mean building scaffolding and putting people to work at height. Terra Inspectioneering has a drone do it instead. Whatever that takes gets flown at KAAP first.
Location
Ontwikkel- en demoruimte, KAAP Vlissingen
Period
Doorlopend
Lead
Terra Inspectioneering
What they build
Terra develops and builds drones and robots that did not exist before, for inspections in the energy sector and on infrastructure. The best known is a drone that measures wall thickness with ultrasound from inside a tank. They developed that technology themselves and had it patented. They also carry out visual and thermal inspections, and deliver the measurements as a 3D model the client can explore.
Why it happens at KAAP
New technology has to prove itself before it enters a client’s tank. That takes room, and KAAP has it. The development and demo space lets Terra recreate most of the situations the team runs into in the field. It saves expensive downtime at the client, and it makes the hall a good place to show clients what the technology can do.
Where it is used
The work goes to tank terminals, oil refineries and the chemical industry, to offshore installations and floating production vessels, and to infrastructure such as bridges. Terra works internationally, but the company itself sits on the Kenniswerf, around the corner from KAAP. Since starting in 2016 it has grown from an idea into an established player, with reporting that meets the international API-653 and EEMUA-159 standards.
What it delivers
The gain is mostly in safety: working at height disappears. An inspection is also faster, so an installation stands still for less time, and the drone collects more measuring points than a person can by hand. Fewer operations are needed and therefore fewer trips back and forth. For Zeeland it means jobs, and knowledge that was not here before.
What is tested at KAAP
KAAP is de testlocatie van Terra. De hal is hoog en leeg genoeg om na te bootsen wat het team bij opdrachtgevers aantreft, van een tankwand tot een constructie waar je slecht bij kunt. Ze testen er nieuwe techniek, geven demonstraties aan klanten en verzorgen er de vliegtrainingen van hun eigen piloten.
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Elma
Coordinator KAAP
Join in
Working on something similar?
Then there is probably a spot for it here. Tell me what you want to test and we will look at what you need.
