Fusion of multiprobe NDT data for ROV inspection

Scientific measurements based on a single sensor provide only limited information about the environment in which it operates. Therefore, the synergistic use of measurement data from a probe array composed of multiple sensors will significantly increase the analytical power of a scientific instrument. At present underwater inspection surveys performed using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) represent a disparate collection of data from different sensors which are applied on an individual basis. A data fusion method can be developed to process the results of several different systems used for nondestructive examination of offshore platforms. This paper introduces the concept of non-destructive testing (NDT) data fusion and presents a practical example applied to weld inspection and defect characterisation. It also demonstrates how the use of multiple NDT systems by ROVs could improve the overall performance of a non-destructive testing examination and reduce uncertainty.