Distributed Sensor Network for Autonomous Hull Monitoring

Maintenance of naval ship hulls is important for a number of reasons. The current techniques of hull husbandry, the periodic inspection of the hulls and taking corrective actions, is a very time consuming and labor intensive process. In order to simplify planning for such a task and to reduce uncertainties during the drydock periods, PSI is offering a solution that is based on a sensor network mounted inside the hull of the ships. The sensors will be able to collect information on various hull conditions. The information will be stored in a database for detecting anomalies and will draw the attention of an operator to areas where a detailed look is warranted. The advantages include improvement in the quality of the ship hull inspections, reduction in personnel time and reduced life cycle costs for the new Littoral Combat Ships.