Leica BLK ARC Autonomy: Sailing Through Digital Twins with Abyss Solutions

Spanning the globe with sectors across North America, Australia, the Middle East, South America, and the UK, Abyss Solutions is making marine terminal inspections safer and more efficient through the use of robotics, AI, and machine learning.

In June of 2022, Abyss Solutions was searching for a solution to solve the complex task of inspecting marine terminals in an efficient and safe manner. After months of research, the team found Leica’s BLK ARC. By mounting the BLK ARC on an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), the company improved its capability to capture data and conduct in-depth analysis of the most challenging sections of terminals – the platforms' undersides just above the water surface. 

Shoshanna Wilson of Leica Geosystems caught up with Chris Stagg, Operations Manager, and Julian De Ybarrondo, Field Engineer at Abyss Solutions to learn more about Abyss’ unique maritime BLK ARC workflow. 

Abyss Solutions’ integration with Leica BLK ARC 

Scanning with the BLK ARC is much safer than putting a human on the water.

-Chris Stagg, Operations Manager

Traditional surveying methods of marine terminal docks can be both risky and time-consuming. Inspectors and divers are asked to fit themselves and their equipment into boats and under infrastructure to inspect terminals and platforms. Many times, there are only a few feet between the water’s surface and the structure. Safety hazards vary significantly and can occur underwater or on the structure itself.

When considering how to collect data safely and efficiently for marine terminals, the BLK ARC provided a clear solution to the issue. “Scanning remotely with the BLK ARC is much safer than putting a human on the water,” Stagg said. “Safety during surveying is one of our top priorities.” 

By mounting the BLK ARC on a USV at a safe distance from the marine terminal, Abyss was able to remove most human safety concerns. The BLK ARC uses simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) so that autonomous robots and vehicles, can navigate and understand their surroundings without relying on pre-existing maps. Operators can review the captured data remotely and in real-time, to confirm its completeness and accuracy while still on site.

 

How the BLK ARC scans from an Abyss Solutions’ remote-controlled USV 

The BLK ARC rests just a foot (30 cm) above the water, securely attached to the middle section of a USV between two stabilizing floats. To accompany the BLK ARC, Abyss uses a panoramic camera that overlays images to give visualization to the point cloud.  The USV is painted bright yellow and is equipped with lighting rigs for high visibility by the remote operator. Multiple propellers allow efficient navigation close to and under structures.

Abyss Solutions customized the USV for fast, versatile, and accurate data capture. "In our process of finding the right product for the job, we chose the BLK ARC," Stagg said, "because it is lightweight, configurable, and enables mobile 3D lidar mapping in complex environments. It has proven to operate well in other unmanned systems as well."  The BLK ARC's modular design and ability to be mounted on any platform, including a USV, allowed the team to get creative in its functionality and navigation.

For Abyss' clients who own and manage marine terminals, Stagg and De Ybarrondo emphasized the importance of maintaining these structures. Providing condition insights is valuable to the client so that they can integrate the findings into their maintenance programs. Knowing the criticality of identified damage within a marine terminal is crucial for the safe loading and unloading of products, for keeping documentation updated, and for ongoing maintenance programs. 

Even though general inspections have been previously conducted, Abyss Solutions sought a more in-depth understanding of these structures. "When we introduced the BLK ARC to these projects, we gained a multi-dimensional understanding of the platforms and docks,” De Ybarrondo explained. “This enhanced perspective of what lies beneath the surface provides the required information for maintenance teams to prioritize their work keeping these structures operationally safe.”

With data captured by the BLK ARC, Abyss Solutions provides its clients with data on the entire asset, ranging from damage class denominations to cracking/sprawling on concrete, rust, corrosion, anomalies on pipes, and any other requested detections within the scope of the BLK ARC’s capabilities. 

 

The Abyss Solutions workflow

“It takes a lot of man hours and resources to get a project going and usually requires multiple inspectors,” said Stagg. “Securing the BLK ARC onto a USV, a small crew can remotely control the vessel capturing all this data with panoramic images. We end up with a complete inspection campaign faster.” 

Having integrated the BLK ARC into its workflow, Abyss noted several significant benefits: reduced inspection time, fewer resources required, and a much faster return on insights. 

Using the captured data, Abyss creates smart digital twins within their proprietary platform, Abyss Fabric. These 3D smart digital twins contain detailed images embedded with metadata. Their workflow involves importing BLK ARC data into the Leica Cyclone REGISTER 360 PLUS for alignment and publishing.  

"As Abyss utilizes a multi-model approach to data collection, we incorporate a suite of software applications to integrate data from 3D and 2D collection to create a smart digital twin of the asset," Stagg explained. "We also use a variety of proprietary, internally developed tools to generate the final deliverable." 

For clients, navigating these digital twins can be as simple as using Google Maps. They can explore their asset by clicking on specific areas of concern and gain access to all related data for that component. Because of the panoramic images captured, they’re also given a real-life perspective of the inspection site.

"Every component is labeled and tagged so that the client can click on and view all the metadata – and it’s not just the risk matrix but also the circuit names, how different structures connect to the overall platform or pipe route and more," De Ybarrondo said. This metadata, all housed within Abyss Fabric, gives clients the necessary information to make informed decisions regarding maintenance and repairs.  

Analyzing a marine terminal with a digital twin 

Abyss Solutions revolutionizes marine terminal inspections with digital twin technology, delivering three key outcomes:  

• Ai-powered Condition Assessment: Assessing structural health by identifying external corrosion and structural damage mechanisms, integrating subsea inspection results for a comprehensive analysis.
• Damage Class Nominations: Each component is classified based on customer-provided prioritization logic, considering specific damage mechanisms and material type for precise, actionable insights.
• Immersive 3D Environment: Explores the terminal's digital twin in a dynamic 3D environment, where condition assessment results can be quality-checked and reviewed, covering under-dock areas, splash zone piles, topsides, and subsea components.

Abyss Solutions' digital twin technology provides marine terminal operators with clear, actionable insights for proactive maintenance and operational efficiency. The team also leverages AI within its proprietary software, Abyss Fabric. "With the BLK ARC and Abyss Fabric, we can pinpoint high-risk areas with precision,” Stagg explained. “Our technology can detect what needs to be replaced, examine if chipping has occurred or might occur, assess concrete piles and degradation, and measure detected defects,” he said. 

 

Enhanced data is collected safely and reliably 

"Recently, while inspecting an older section of a marine terminal, our team was walking on a catwalk above the surface vessel. A piece of busted I-beam came loose and fell onto our USV,” Stagg said. “If a human was conducting the inspection, they could've gotten hurt. But instead, it was the BLK ARC. The device was damaged, but not beyond repair – and my crew stayed safe.” 

The Abyss team also uses a 3D laser scanner to integrate the captured data seamlessly into their existing workflow providing detailed, in-depth data analysis while completing projects within a reasonable time and budget.

When using the BLK ARC on a USV, Stagg and De Ybarrondo highlight its remote-control reliability, 3D laser scanning accuracy, and significant improvement in inspector safety as reasons why the BLK ARC was their top choice. "For our team, it came down to accuracy and repeatability," Stagg said. "The BLK ARC’s modularity is fantastic; we attach it to the USV, initiate the scanner, and it's quickly providing us with data."  

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