From danger zones to drone zones: How AI and robotics are revolutionizing maritime safety

Enter AutoASSESS, a groundbreaking Horizon Europe project that fuses cutting-edge robotics, AI, and aerial systems to transform how we inspect critical marine infrastructure. This talk unveils how autonomous drones, equipped with collision-tolerant designs, precise force control, and onboard perception, are being developed to navigate and inspect the most inaccessible parts of ships, such as ballast water tanks, without risking human lives.

With a consortium of leading universities and industrial partners, AutoASSESS is not just about innovation—it’s about impact. By reducing inspection times from 15 days to just 1, this technology promises to save billions annually while setting a new standard for safety and efficiency in the maritime industry. At the University of Twente, our team leads the development of the mechatronic design and control strategies that enable physical interaction during contact inspection, ensuring precise and stable force application in complex environments.

This talk will be a journey into the future of vessel inspection, where robots take flight in the most unforgiving environments, and human ingenuity keeps them grounded in purpose.