Bureau Veritas (BV) has successfully completed its first remote inspection and audit survey on the Bourbon 508, an OSV stationed off Angola.

MAC, a BV company, and Kongsberg Maritime tested a new solution for DP system performance and redundancy audits deployed on the Bourbon vessel. The ability to remotely survey the data output from the Kongsberg Maritime solution is a further step on the road to smarter ships. 

DP Digital Survey

DP Digital Survey is a solution developed by Kongsberg Maritime, in close collaboration with Bourbon and Bureau Veritas DP experts. It is a digital tool running on an industrial data management system that ensures unprecedented data consistency to verify onboard systems. DP Digital Survey acquires the information directly from the ships’ control systems and delivers it to the auditors via a secure cloud infrastructure, thus representing a real improvement in terms of quality of services.

The new application provides real data of test completion evidence, not just photographs and video recordings. 

Next Steps

The anticipated next steps as the DP Digital Survey tool evolves will include: 

  • increased automation of the survey process; 
  • improvements in the survey process; and 
  • the ability to establish a continuous DP survey framework allowing detailed, and continual, remote monitoring. 

Remote Services Are Hot

Many companies are currently working to expand their remote service portfolio. Last week, Wärtsilä tested its remote guidance service capabilities and DNV GL announced it will roll-out remote surveys for all vessels.

Picture: The Bourbon 508, an OSV stationed off Angola.