Inspecting internal assets such as ballast tanks, pressure vessels, columns, and pipelines traditionally requires confined-space entry, draining, isolation, or shutdown. These methods introduce safety risk, operational disruption, and cost, while often limiting inspection coverage in complex or restricted environments.
As regulatory and integrity requirements increase, operators need safer, more efficient ways to access internal spaces and capture reliable condition data.
Collision-tolerant UAS technology enables internal inspections without manned entry, providing safe access to confined and hazardous spaces while delivering high-quality visual and spatial data to support maintenance and integrity planning.
Internal inspections across energy, marine, and industrial sectors present consistent challenges:
The challenge is to improve safety and data quality while reducing disruption and cost.
Plowman Craven combines advanced UAS technology with engineering-led inspection expertise to deliver safer, more efficient internal inspections. Our approach eliminates the need for routine confined-space entry, reduces operational disruption, and provides high-quality, defensible data to support integrity and maintenance decisions.
By integrating visual inspection, LiDAR, and targeted NDT/UT capability, we deliver structured, repeatable outputs that improve coverage, prioritise risk, and support long-term asset management.
The approach typically includes:
·    Deployment of protective-cage UAS platforms designed for confined-space navigation
·    High-resolution visual inspection of internal surfaces, welds, coatings, and structural elements
·    LiDAR capture to generate accurate 3D models of internal geometries
·    Digital mapping of defects, corrosion, deformation, or coating breakdown
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·    Structured reporting outputs to support integrity assessment and maintenance planning
UAS-led DROPS surveys deliver clear safety, operational, and assurance benefits offshore.
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We combine collision-tolerant UAS with specialist inspection expertise to access complex environments without intrusive preparation. Our focus is on delivering structured, decision-ready data that integrates into integrity frameworks.
By improving access, data clarity, and efficiency, we support safer inspections and more confident asset management.
