Light Structures introduces ARGUS-VM for sensor-free vessel Structural Health Monitoring

Norway's Light Structures AS has launched ARGUS-VM, a virtual Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system intended to reduce lifecycle costs across vessels and fleets by supporting condition-based maintenance and performance monitoring.

The system has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and is available for both newbuild vessels and retrofits. It was developed to support compliance with the ABS SMART(SHM) Tier 1 notation, built around a sensor-free approach to monitoring hull integrity.

ARGUS-VM combines real-world Automatic Identification System (AIS) data and hindcast wave models with vessel-specific digital models to generate estimates of structural stress and fatigue. This allows operators to gain insight into hull health without installing physical sensors on board.

A virtual monitoring engine transforms vessel position, speed and environmental data into structural health indicators and fatigue trends in near real time. Data is delivered via onboard or shore-based interfaces, while an integrated Application Programming Interface (API) enables connection to other class-approved technologies and digital platforms.

The system also provides an upgrade path to full sensor-based monitoring, aligned with Tier 3 of the ABS SMART(SHM) notation. At that level, onboard sensing using the SENSFIB platform delivers real-time safety alerts and high-fidelity data on stress, fatigue accumulation, slamming events and vibration effects.

Light Structures said the technology is aimed at reducing lifecycle costs, supporting condition-based maintenance and improving vessel performance and safety.