TopAgent IC – CORROVISION: Automated AI solution for surface corrosion detection and assessment

In energy facility maintenance, visual inspection faces significant safety risks and errors. To completely solve this problem, CORROVISION on the TopAgent IC Platform (in collaboration with AIQ) leverages computer vision and sovereign AI to automatically and accurately detect and classify the severity of corrosion.

1. The importance of surface inspection in energy facilities

In addition to complex underground pipeline networks, surface infrastructure in the energy extraction and power sector is massive; including offshore platforms exposed to salt spray, distillation towers hundreds of meters high at petrochemical refineries, giant fuel storage tanks, and high-voltage power transmission tower networks.

A common characteristic of these steel structures is that they continuously undergo oxidation, rusting, protective coating degradation, and mechanical cracks from environmental stress. If pipeline corrosion or equipment surface degradation is not detected and addressed promptly, structural weakening can lead to chemical leaks, fires, or scaffolding collapse.

2. Shortcomings of manual visual inspection methods

For decades, the most common surface inspection method has been Visual Inspection. Maintenance engineers (Inspectors) must directly observe with the naked eye to assess the rust condition of equipment.

This traditional method has several key drawbacks. First, extremely high occupational safety risks. To access top tower areas or tank exteriors, engineers must use expensive scaffolding. Working dozens of meters high or in confined spaces poses constant danger. Second, subjectivity. For the same rust spot, a junior engineer might evaluate it as “Severe”, while a seasoned expert considers it “Acceptable”. This inconsistency distorts maintenance plans. Third, cost and downtime. Erecting scaffolding and manually inspecting an entire plant takes months and millions of dollars in operational costs.

3. CORROVISION – Automation solution utilizing computer vision technology

To enhance safety and precision in inspections, the CORROVISION solution developed by TopAgent IC automates inspection tasks in hard-to-reach or dangerous locations.

CORROVISION receives thousands of high-resolution images from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/Drones), crawler robots, or static surveillance cameras. All image data regarding plant layout is encrypted and analyzed directly on internal servers. The solution delivers analytical efficiency through 4 core modules:

3.1. External Corrosion Detection: AI is trained on millions of metal defect images to automatically and accurately recognize signs of paint peeling, rust, and cracking. This feature not only pinpoints affected areas but also classifies severity levels (low/medium/high) based on surface area and color. In particular, computer vision algorithms can detect pitting corrosion – the most dangerous and hardest to spot with the naked eye.

3.2. Pipe Patrol Detection: Instead of dispatching personnel to walk thousands of kilometers along pipeline routes, businesses can use UAVs for automated patrol. CORROVISION integrates directly into UAV video feeds to monitor pipelines from above. AI immediately detects anomalies such as liquid/gas leaks, sand accumulation causing terrain shifts, exposed pipes due to soil erosion, or external tampering.

3.3. Transmission Tower Anomaly Detection: This technology extends beyond the energy domain to power transmission infrastructure. The system automatically scans and identifies rusting and structural degradation of high-voltage transmission towers. It analyzes individual bolt connections, detects misaligned, cracked, or missing insulators, as well as damage or breakage on transmission lines.

• 3.4. Corrosion Advisor: Raw image data, once processed, is analyzed logically by an AI Advisor to provide anomaly warnings and support immediate decision-making by management. The system tracks rust expansion in real-time (e.g., comparing January vs. June images), prioritizing which areas require sandblasting/repainting first, and automatically generating predictive maintenance budget plans for the following year.

4. Practical implementation benefits and productivity gains

Based on real-world deployments, the CORROVISION solution has delivered clear quantitative value:

• 30% reduction in visual inspection time and operational costs: Using Drones and AI to scan an entire plant takes just a few days instead of months assembling scaffolding, saving significant OPEX.
• >80% accuracy in real-world corrosion forecasting: The artificial intelligence algorithms are unaffected by lighting and environmental conditions, ensuring high-confidence detection of microscopic defects.
• Increased productivity: Engineering teams no longer waste time reviewing thousands of normal photos. AI automatically focuses on flagged alert points, eliminating subjective assessment bias.
• Reduced OPEX through optimized inspection efficiency: Instead of repainting entire structures on a fixed schedule, businesses only intervene in the right place at the right time based on actual equipment condition.
• Real-time corrosion classification: Provides intuitive visual information clearly distinguishing urgency levels (Red, Yellow, Green), enabling management to dispatch maintenance crews promptly and prevent incidents before they occur.

By applying sovereign AI in the energy sector, refineries, mining sites, and national power grids not only increase equipment reliability but also ensure worker safety. Learn more about operating principles and detailed features at the CORROVISION automated AI surface corrosion detection and assessment solution.

Contact ADT for in-depth consultation and comprehensive documentation on Sovereign AI solutions in the Energy Sector, or explore the latest technology trends in the AI & Physical AI section!