Smooth Sailing: MATRIX Dives Into Ship Inspecting

University of Maryland (UMD) and University System of Maryland organizations are collaborating on multidisciplinary research focused on improving waterways by reducing biofouling.

Biofouling - the accumulation of organisms like barnacles and algae on underwater surfaces - threatens marine environments, negatively impacts ship operations, and increases greenhouse gas emissions. This phenomenon has many negative environmental impacts, including higher fuel consumption because of heavier ship hulls and unwanted transfers of invasive aquatic species.

Finding safe, efficient, and cost-effective methods to measure biofouling remains challenging, but is essential for supporting efficient and safe ship operations. Additionally, the International Maritime Organization is working toward a legally binding framework on the control and management of ship biofouling, so adhering to current guidelines may soon be law.

Traditional methods require trained divers or remotely operated vehicles with high-resolution camera systems, which can be costly, time-consuming, and result in subjective findings.

A new grant worth $105,000 will help researchers develop a cost-effective, efficient, and thorough underwater ship inspection system. UMD organizations, with support from the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD), will be exploring existing and emerging technologies to help develop an Autonomous Biofouling Inspection and Observation System (A-BIOS). The grant covers a feasibility study and design report, and future grants will fund prototype development.

Multi-Organization Collaboration

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences (UMCES) Maritime Environmental Resource Center and the UMD A. James Clark School of Engineering MATRIX Lab will build the A-BIOS. UMCES Professor Dr. Mario Tamburri is the PI, and MATRIX Lab Assistant Research Scientist Dr. Justin Stine and MATRIX Lab Assistant Research Engineer Dr. Wei-Kuo Yen are the co-PIs. The funding is a portion of a large grant awarded to the UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL).

An autonomous system like the A-BIOS would save time and human effort while delivering consistent data. Currently, human divers have to manually explore tight and niche areas of ships, which is dangerous, time-consuming, and expensive. Their findings can also be subjective; autonomous systems standardize data capture and allow researchers to utilize technologies that divers can’t carry, like sonar devices and multiple sensors. Removing humans also allows neighboring ships to continue normal operations uninterrupted; when divers are working, nearby ships are typically required to turn off active sonar and depth sounders. They also generally avoid operating propellers or underwater valves that could endanger the divers.

“Autonomous systems have the potential to enhance inspection operations by reducing operational risks and enabling more frequent, consistent assessments,” Dr. Yen said. “I am proud to be a part of a team working to improve this process that is critical to helping the environment.”

Researchers will explore several technologies for the A-BIOS, including:

Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) platforms capable of safely and effectively maneuvering near ship hulls and niche areas like propellers and rudders;
Imaging systems suited for aquatic environments where it’s difficult to see;
Additional biofouling sensing modalities, such as sonar, ultrasound, and electrochemical and laser imaging; and
Data assessment and analysis techniques ranging from traditional image analysis methods to modern AI-enabled approaches.

Contributions from PhDs to Undergrads

The MATRIX Lab’s partnership with UMCES and CBL began in fall 2025 with technical exchanges about shared research interests and collaboration opportunities. Dr. Tamburri followed up about one of the ideas - biofouling - and invited Dr. Stine to give a seminar talk for CBL faculty, staff, and students.

In spring 2026, the MARAD grant was officially awarded. Former College of Southern Maryland (CSM) student and incoming UMD at USMSM student Sam Stine began working on the biofouling project with Dr. Stine and Dr. Yen. He reviewed existing methods for measuring biofouling, tested an open-source machine learning package for vision-based biofouling detection, and tested an ultrasonic ranging sensor.

Micheal York worked on the project as a MATRIX Lab intern in summer 2026, calibrating an underwater camera and configuring an edge computing device for AI-based image processing. The project emphasized hardware and software integration, providing exposure to embedded systems and sensor fusion. York gained experience with image mapping using cameras, proximity sensors, as well as data acquisition and analysis workflows. He applied machine learning techniques, particularly object detection, to support automated inspection and assessment tasks.

“There are a number of AUV on the market that are constantly pushing the boundaries of underwater inspection and cleaning of ship hulls. Through our collaboration with CBL, we are leveraging these existing technologies to design a multimodal-sensing approach that is both affordable and accurate enough for high-throughput underwater inspection applications,” said Dr. Stine.

Published August 19, 2026