Tank inspection and integrity patents: mapping the robotic scanning and corrosion-detection field
One filer dominates. the leading assignee holds 75 of the 103 records in scope, while fifth place holds only 4 — a steep drop from leader to long tail. Filings ran from 20 in 2017 to a peak of 46 in 2018. Using the last two complete filing years, 2021 (7 records) to 2024 (1 record) represents an -86% change — a real signal, though it should be read alongside the publication lag rather than as evidence that interest has stopped.
- 1TANKBOTS INC75
- 2SQUARE ROBOT INC7
- 3PLANYS TECH PTE LTD5
- 4SAUDI ARABIAN OIL CO4
- 5AMIT SHUKLA4
See the full tank inspection and integrity analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions about tank inspection patents
Who holds the most patents in tank inspection and integrity technology?
One assignee holds a clear majority of the 103 records in scope, with 75 records against a fifth-place figure of just 4. This concentration suggests a single company has invested heavily and consistently in robotic and sensor-based tank inspection over the covered period, while the remaining ranked assignees — including national oil companies, robotics startups and individual inventors — hold comparatively small, often single-digit portfolios. Anyone assessing competitive risk in this space should look closely at the leader's specific claim language rather than assume the field is fragmented.
What technologies dominate tank inspection patent claims?
Material analysis and testing (IPC class G01N) appears in 72.8% of the 103 records, and radar, sonar and positioning technology (G01S) appears in 56.3%, making these the two most heavily claimed disciplines. Optical systems (G02B) and pictorial communication/video (H04N) also feature prominently, reflecting the shift toward camera- and sensor-equipped robotic crawlers. Pressure-vessel-specific claims under F17C are comparatively rare at 7.8% of records, indicating that most inventive effort centres on detection and imaging rather than the tank structure itself.
Is patent filing in tank inspection technology growing or slowing?
Filing activity peaked in 2018 at 46 records after rising from 20 in 2017, and the last two complete filing years show a real decline — from 7 records in 2021 to 1 in 2024, an -86% change. However, publication typically lags actual filing by around 18 months, so the very recent years in any chart will understate true activity and should not be read as proof the field has gone quiet. A clearer picture of 2025-2026 filing behaviour will only emerge once those publications catch up.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Tank Inspection and Integrity covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.