Over the past several years, the Naval Research Laboratory has been developing video inspection systems for assessing the coatings condition in shipboard ballast tanks. Two prototype systems have been specified and are presently being utilized to perform video inspections of dry and filled ballast tanks. These video inspection systems include the Insertable Stalk Inspection System (ISIS) and the Remote Operated Paint Inspector (ROPI). ISIS is deployed via ballast tank hatches and is fielded using a mechanical system that lowers the camera into the ballast tank. The camera's direction of view as well as other operating parameters are fully adjustable from outside the ballast tank. ROPI is also deployed via ballast tank hatches. This system uses a remotely operated undersea vehicle .to position the camera within the ballast tank. Data from both of these systems is archived to digital videotape. Automatic rust detection algorithms are than applied to the collected imagery to attain an automatic assessment of tank's coating quality.
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