RIMS BV Launch 'Drone' Inspection Services

Robotica in Maintenance Strategies BV (RIMS) launched inspection services of enclosed spaces to the Maritime and Offshore Industry, using the drone Elios.

RIMS was founded in 2015 by David Knukkel, Sr. Maintenance Consultant in Maritime and Offshore Industry, with a clear mission to replace all high-risk & resource intensive maintenance activities with smarter drone and robotic technologies to increase safety and cost efficient operations.

One major focus of RIMS was to realize safe inspections of enclosed spaces. We carried out extensive market research including visiting several Universities in Holland and Switzerland with our partner ‘Flyability’, where they gave a presentation of their drone Elios. This is a drone within a protective cage, and is perfectly suited to enter enclosed spaces and carry out in depth inspections of the enclosed areas.

With our partners Rotterdam Offshore Group, Rolldock and Flyability, under supervision of Class, RIMS carried out a test on board the vessel ‘Rolldock Sky’ to check whether the controls and data transfer would be okay in a ballast tank and duct keel.

Our industry is changing fast and the door to a new “world” of technological advances is already open. There is technology available which can change traditional operations, so it is not a question of ‘if’ technology will change the market, but ‘when’ and ‘how’ the voyage will be.

We believe it is time for the Maritime and Offshore markets to understand and embrace what robotics can mean for our industries.

Hiring local unexperienced employees, sceptics against technology and changes and questions like where to start, are all actual challenges of leading shipping and oil companies. RIMS can support these organizations in finding solutions. Offering inspection services with new technology, RIMS will show the industry that many things are already possible, and a wealth of new opportunities are available using our technical solutions in the very near future.

David Knukkel, Director of RIMS BV demonstrating the Elios Drone