IUMA develops a hyperspectral system for the early detection of corrosion in metal structures

The Integrated Systems Design Division (DSI) of the University Institute of Applied Microelectronics (IUMA) at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is working on the development of an innovative system based on hyperspectral technology for the early detection of corrosion in metal structures. This technology makes it possible to identify corrosion in its very early stages, when the deterioration is not yet visible to the human eye. Thanks to spectral information, the system is capable of detecting corrosion processes on a microscopic scale and differentiating between different degrees of corrosion when the damage is more advanced.

This line of research is being developed within the framework of the SIROCO project, in which the Tenerife Institute of Technology and Renewable Energy (ITER) and the Galician Institute of Technology (ITG) are also participating. SIROCO is funded through the Public-Private Partnership Programme of the Ministry of Science, Research and Universities, with funds from the Spanish Government's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

Early detection of corrosion is critical in industrial sectors and strategic infrastructure. It allows structural failures to be anticipated, maintenance costs to be reduced, the useful life of materials to be extended, and the safety and sustainability of industrial, energy and transport facilities to be improved. Compared to traditional methods, which usually intervene when damage is already visible, this technology offers a clear preventive advantage.

Practical results from the IUMA research team in real-world settings support a line of work that started over 15 years ago. This research has led to applications in fields such as precision agriculture (APOGEO project), the detection of pollutants in oceans and rivers (PERSEO and PTOLOMEO projects), and the aerospace sector (BENTAYGA project), and is now being extended to the field of industrial structure inspection and maintenance (SIROCO project). This work has fostered collaborations with other international research institutions, such as the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), Wageningen University (Netherlands) and Laval University (Canada), as well as with various Spanish universities (University of Extremadura, University of Seville and University of Oviedo).

As a next step, IUMA is working on adapting this technology to more compact and robust imaging systems, enabling its practical use in real industrial inspection environments. The institute is also in talks with national companies to evaluate the application of this technology in different production contexts, strengthening collaboration between the university and the business community.

Fig. 1. False colour image of the corrosion level of a metal sample

Fig. 2. Spectral signature obtained from steel samples with different levels of corrosion