Advancements and Challenges in Convolutional Neural Networks for Marine Corrosion Detection and Classification
Journal of Advanced Research Design, , 142(1), pp. 89–107
Dr. Ahmad Faisal Mohamad Ayob
Associate Professor
Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology
·
Centre for Offshore Renewable Energy (CEFORE)
·
Virtual Systems Group (VSG)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
80+
Publications
606
Scopus Citations
15
H-Index (Scholar)
13
H-Index (Scopus)
Summary
Associate Professor of naval architecture and ocean engineering. Designs autonomous underwater vehicles and high-speed craft, and builds the optimisation and digital-twin software that tests those designs before anything is built. Has published 80 papers drawing 606 Scopus citations, led 8 funded projects worth RM 2,204,700 for PETRONAS and the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, and supervised 17 postgraduate candidates, 10 of them to graduation. Founded VSG Labs Sdn Bhd, an engineering firm affiliated with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, to move that research into industry use.
Education
–
PhD in Mechanical Engineering (High-Speed Craft)
University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Australia
–
Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering
Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
Professional Experience
– Present
System Specialist
PETRONAS-UMT CEFORE, Malaysia
– Present
Founder / Managing Director
VSG Labs Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia
– Present
Associate Professor
Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
–
Director of International Centre
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Led a tenfold surge in international student enrollment.
–
Deputy Director of International Office
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
–
Senior Lecturer
School of Ocean Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
–
R&D Engineer
Panasonic H. A. Air Condition Research and Development (M) Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia
–
Vibration Engineer Consultant
Monitoring and Diagnostics Technology Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia
Skills & Expertise
Naval Architecture
Ocean Engineering
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV)
High-Speed Craft Design
Digital Twin Technology
Marine Robotics
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Ship Simulation
Optimization Algorithms
Machine Learning
Computer Vision
Corrosion Detection
Python
MATLAB
Research Supervision
Selected Projects (as Lead)
RM 2,204,700 secured as lead investigator across 8 funded projects. Industry-funded (PETRONAS) and competitive national grants (MOHE FRGS, PRGS).
–
P-MET Weather Metocean System 2026
–
Metocean Foresight System
–
P-MET Weather Metocean System 2025
–
P-MET Weather Metocean System 2024
–
Underwater Robot Simulator
P-MET iOS/Android App Development
–
Ship Simulator Development
–
Novel AUV Designs within Genetic Algorithm Framework
Publications
Publications & Citations per Year · Scopus-indexed
Publications (bars, left axis)
Citations (dots, right axis)
| Year | Publications |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 14 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 | 2 |
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 13 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 7 |
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 14 |
| 2022 | 33 |
| 2023 | 66 |
| 2024 | 126 |
| 2025 | 196 |
| 2026 | 100 |
62 of the 80+ publications are Scopus-indexed and charted here; the remainder appear in non-indexed venues. Scopus figures as of August 2026.
Top Publication Venues · Scopus-indexed
Plus 39 further documents spread across 35 other venues.
| Venue | Documents |
|---|---|
| AIP Conference Proceedings | 5 |
| Journal of Advanced Research Design | 4 |
| Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering | 4 |
| Ocean Engineering | 4 |
| Engineering Optimization | 3 |
| J. Advanced Research in Applied Sciences & Eng. Tech. | 3 |
| Other (35 venues) | 39 |
h-index · Scopus-indexed
13 documents have each been cited at least 13 times.
| Rank | Citations |
|---|---|
| 1 | 74 |
| 2 | 72 |
| 3 | 61 |
| 4 | 39 |
| 5 | 38 |
| 6 | 28 |
| 7 | 27 |
| 8 | 20 |
| 9 | 17 |
| 10 | 17 |
| 11 | 13 |
| 12 | 13 |
| 13 | 13 |
| 14 | 12 |
| 15 | 11 |
| 16 | 11 |
| 17 | 11 |
| 18 | 11 |
| 19 | 8 |
| 20 | 8 |
| 21 | 8 |
| 22 | 7 |
| 23 | 7 |
| 24 | 6 |
| 25 | 6 |
| 26 | 5 |
| 27 | 5 |
| 28 | 4 |
| 29 | 4 |
| 30 | 4 |
| 31 | 4 |
| 32 | 3 |
| 33 | 3 |
| 34 | 3 |
| 35 | 3 |
| 36 | 3 |
| 37 | 3 |
| 38 | 2 |
| 39 | 2 |
| 40 | 2 |
| 41 | 2 |
| 42 | 2 |
| 43 | 2 |
| 44 | 2 |
| 45 | 2 |
| 46 | 2 |
| 47 | 1 |
| 48 | 1 |
| 49 | 1 |
| 50 | 1 |
| 51 | 1 |
| 52 | 1 |
| 53 | 0 |
| 54 | 0 |
| 55 | 0 |
| 56 | 0 |
| 57 | 0 |
| 58 | 0 |
| 59 | 0 |
| 60 | 0 |
| 61 | 0 |
| 62 | 0 |
2026
Convolutional Neural Networks for Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring: A Critical Analysis and Future Directions
Applied Energy, , 420, 128135
Ship Hull Inspection with Remote Inspection Technique, Active Contour, and Artificial Intelligence
Journal of Ocean Technology, , 21(2), pp. 42–66
2025
Ship structure corrosion detection using advanced image processing, active contour algorithm, and parallel processing
Ocean Engineering, , 341, 122351
Development of a Vision-Based Mobile Robot with Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for Classification of Tomato Ripeness
Engineering Letters, , 33(6), pp. 2078–2088
Accurate Corrosion Detection and Segmentation on Ship Hull with Pixel Property Method
Journal of Advanced Research Design, , 129(1), pp. 148–163
Effective Periodic Noise Reduction for Ship Corrosion Image
Journal of Advanced Research Design, , 129(1), pp. 130–147
Design Considerations and Factors Influencing Floating Offshore Wind Turbines through Numerical Method and Industrial Practice
Journal of Advanced Research Design, , 128(1), pp. 125–143
Advanced Techniques in Ship Corrosion Analysis: Integrating Active Contour Algorithms for Image Segmentation
Journal of Advanced Research Design, , 128(1), pp. 79–99
A Study of Ergonomic Work Posture on Traditional Fishing Boats Manufacturing in Lhokseumawe
Journal of Health and Quality of Life, , 6(1), pp. 25–32
The Performance Analysis of the Shipping Line Industry in Indonesia Amidst the Covid-19 and Global Economic Uncertainty Conditions
Journal of Advanced Research in Technology and Innovation Management, , 14(1)
2024
Corrigendum: “A critical analysis of machine learning in ship, offshore, and oil & gas corrosion research, part I: Corrosion detection and classification”
Ocean Engineering, , 313, 119726
A critical analysis of machine learning in ship, offshore, and oil & gas corrosion research, part I: Corrosion detection and classification
Ocean Engineering, , 313, 119600
A critical review of machine learning algorithms in maritime, offshore, and oil & gas corrosion research: A comprehensive analysis of ANN and RF models
Ocean Engineering, , 295, 116796
A Review of Predictive Maintenance Approaches for Corrosion Detection and Maintenance of Marine Structures
Journal of Sustainability Science and Management, , 19(4), pp. 182–202
Dynamic Analysis and Circuit Design of a New 3D Highly Chaotic System and its Application to Pseudo Random Number Generator (PRNG) and Image Encryption
SN Computer Science, , 5(4), 420
Neuroevolutionary Reinforcement Learning of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle in Confined Space
Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, , 1248 LNEE, pp. 115–124
Failure Analysis of a Connecting Rod Bearing of a Diesel Engine Generator Set
Advanced Structured Materials, , 215, pp. 123–131
Identification of Connecting Rod Diesel Engine Generator Set 3516 B Series Using the Finite Element Method
AIP Conference Proceedings, , 3115(1), 060003
Risk Management of Coastal Ring Roads to Rate Abrasion on The Lhokseumawe City
Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, , 39(1), pp. 168–182
Real-time Analysis of Inverter Performance via SCADA Haiwell Online Monitoring
Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, , 37(1), pp. 99–114
Failure Analysis of Valve Unit for MAN 9L21/31 Diesel Engine Generator
Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, , 33(3), pp. 185–193
Color-based image processing techniques for laser range finder: A comparative study on air and water distance detection
Proceedings of SPIE, , 12938, 129381A
Real-time Detection and Classification of Fish in Underwater Environment Using YOLOv5: A Comparative Study of Deep Learning Architectures
Informatyka Automatyka Pomiary w Gospodarce i Ochronie Srodowiska, , 14(3), pp. 91–95
Electronic Circuit in the Two-Scroll Hyperchaotic System with a Unique Saddle-Point Rest Point and its Synchronization via Integral Sliding Mode Control
IAENG International Journal of Applied Mathematics, , 54(3), pp. 452–464
Identification of induce draft fan damage using fault tree analysis
BIS Information Technology and Computer Science, , 1, V124003
Application of Artificial Intelligence in Corrosion Research, Part II: Corrosion of Steel
Changes in Priority Scale Between Needs vs Wants in Customer Perspective During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic Using Fuzzy AHP
4th Borobudur International Symposium on Humanities and Social Science,
Optimizing traditional shipyard industry: Integrating VSM and sustainability indicators for continuous improvement
Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology,
2023
Application of Artificial Intelligence in Marine Corrosion Prediction and Detection
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, , 11(2), 256
Computer Vision and Image Processing Approaches for Corrosion Detection
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, , 11(10), 1954
Efficient, accurate and fast pupil segmentation for pupillary boundary in iris recognition
Advances in Engineering Software, , 175, 103352
Investigation of chaotic behavior and adaptive type-2 fuzzy controller approach for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) wind turbine system
AIMS Mathematics, , 8(3), pp. 5670–5686
Evaluation of Neuroevolutionary Approach to Navigate Autonomous Surface Vehicles in Restricted Waters
Defence S and T Technical Bulletin, , 16(1), pp. 24–36
Enhancing Production Process Performance in Traditional Shipyards: An Integrated Approach for Waste Identification and Performance Optimization
Journal of Optimization in Industrial Engineering, , 16(2), pp. 221–241
Continuous Improvement Strategy in Traditional Shipyard Industry: A Holistic Approach towards Sustainability
Journal of Optimization in Industrial Engineering, , 16(1), pp. 255–268
Work system design using macroergonomic analysis and design approach to increase productivity
AIP Conference Proceedings, , 2484, 040004
An intelligent autonomous surface vehicle manoeuvring analysis in restricted waters via neuroevolutionary method
AIP Conference Proceedings, , 2484, 060001
Identification of waste for shipyard through lean manufacturing approach
AIP Conference Proceedings, , 2484, 040013
Defect analysis to improve quality of traditional shipbuilding processes in West Aceh District, Indonesia
AIP Conference Proceedings, , 2484, 020004
Fuzzy Logic-based Integrated Cooling System to Improve PV Efficiency
Andalasian International Journal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology,
Optimizing traditional shipyard industry: Enhancing manufacturing cycle efficiency for enhanced production process performance
International Journal of Industrial Engineering, Technology and Operations Management,
The application of artificial intelligence in corrosion monitoring
Journal of Engineering Science and Research,
2022
A Brief Review of Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Human-Machine Interaction
IEEE 9th International Conference on Underwater System Technology: Theory and Applications,
Adaptive Initial Contour and Partly-Normalization Algorithm for Iris Segmentation of Blurry Iris Images
Journal of Information and Communication Technology, , 21(3), pp. 411–435
Investigation and failure analysis of a diesel generator connecting rod
Mechanical Engineering for Society and Industry, , 2(2), pp. 64–71
State of the Art Review on Autonomous Surface Vehicle Maneuvering Assessment
Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, , 770, pp. 105–113
Defect Analysis to Improve Quality in Traditional Shipbuilding Processes
International Journal of Global Optimization and Its Application, , 1(3), pp. 135–144
Identifying the Shipyard Waste: An Application of the Lean Manufacturing Approach
International Journal of Global Optimization and Its Application, , 1(2), pp. 100–110
2021
Applications of artificial intelligence in ship berthing: A review
Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences, , 50(11), pp. 855–863
Convolutional Neural Network Architectures Performance Evaluation for Fish Species Classification
Journal of Sustainability Science and Management, , 16(5), pp. 124–139
myBas driving cycle for Kuala Terengganu city
International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering, , 11(3), pp. 2054–2061
Iris Segmentation Based on an Adaptive Initial Contour and Partly-Normalization
Communications in Computer and Information Science, , 1489 CCIS, pp. 231–240
Analysis of pruned neural networks (MobileNetV2-YOLO v2) for underwater object detection
Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, , 666, pp. 87–98
Proceedings of the 12th National Technical Seminar on Unmanned System Technology 2020: NUSYS’20
Springer Nature,
2020 & Earlier
COVID-19 exit strategy: Transitioning towards a new normal
Annals of Medicine and Surgery, , 59, pp. 165–170
Neuroevolutionary autonomous surface vehicle simulation in restricted waters
TransNav, , 14(4), pp. 865–873
Obstacles avoidance control for autonomous mobile robot based on fuzzy logic controller
Advanced Science Letters, , 24(11), pp. 7895–7899
Mobile Robot Controller Based on Fuzzy Logic System in Uneven Terrain
Discovering Mathematics (Menemui Matematik), , 39(2), pp. 70–82
Dynamic responses of moored installation vessel during lifting operation due to environmental load
IEEE 7th International Conference on Underwater System Technology: Theory and Applications,
State of the Art Review of the Application of Computational Fluid Dynamics for High Speed Craft
Journal of Ocean, Mechanical and Aerospace, , 39(1), pp. 7–17
Investigating pectoral shapes and locomotive strategies for conceptual designing bio-inspired robotic fish
Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, , 12(1), pp. 1–14
A review on recent advancements in unmanned underwater vehicle design
Journal of Ocean, Mechanical and Aerospace, , 31(1), pp. 1–8
Underwater System Technology 2015
Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences, , 44(12)
An efficient Memetic algorithm for 3D shape matching problems
Engineering Optimization, , 46(5), pp. 687–703
Rheology study of plant oil for marine application
Procedia Engineering, , 68, pp. 138–144
A hydrodynamic preliminary design optimization framework for high speed planing craft
Journal of Ship Research, , 56(1), pp. 35–47
Hull surface information retrieval and optimization of high speed planing craft
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, , 36(1), 012034
The quest for optimum high speed planing craft design
RINA International Maritime Conference, Pacific , pp. 507–516
A smart repair embedded memetic algorithm for 2D shape matching problems
Engineering Optimization, , 44(10), pp. 1229–1243
The effect of boron friction modifier on the performance of brake pads
International Journal of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, , 7(1), pp. 31–35
Marine Extracts as Corrosion Inhibitor for Aluminum in Seawater Applications
Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, , 2(1), pp. 455–458
The design of high speed planing craft using an optimization framework
ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, , 4, pp. 11–20
Beyond hydrodynamic design optimization of planing craft
Transactions of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, , 119, pp. 473–485
Uncovering secrets behind low-resistance planing craft hull forms through optimization
Engineering Optimization, , 43(11), pp. 1161–1173
Scenario-based hydrodynamic design optimization of high speed planing craft for coastal surveillance
IEEE Congress of Evolutionary Computation, , pp. 354–361
A novel evolutionary approach for 2D shape matching based on B-spline modeling
IEEE Congress of Evolutionary Computation, , pp. 655–661
Beyond hydrodynamic design optimization of planing craft
Journal of Ship Production, , 27(1), pp. 1–13
Hydrodynamic design optimization of a hard chine planing craft for coastal surveillance
International Maritime Conference, Pacific , pp. 73–82
An optimization framework for the design of planing craft
RINA International Conference on Computer Applications in Shipbuilding, , 2, pp. 1028–1057
Thesis
Development of an optimization framework for the design of high speed planing craft
PhD Thesis, UNSW Sydney,
Postgraduate Supervision
17 postgraduate candidates — 5 currently under supervision, 2 with theses under examination, 10 graduated. 11 as main supervisor, 6 as co-supervisor. All candidates at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu.
Currently Supervising
2023 – Present
Saidatul Hasyimah Said Ali
Alarm Rationalization Root Cause Identification Applying the Sequence of Event Relationship Mapping
2021 – Present
Seflahir Dinata
A Wind Farm Optimization Framework via Simulation Techniques
2020 – Present
Muzakir
Shipyard Planning and Control Using Optimization Methods
2025 – Present
Nurul Husna Hamzah
Optimization of Hybrid PV–Wind–Battery Systems Using Genetic Algorithm
2025 – Present
K M Saiful Islam
Performance Evaluation of Existing LNG Infrastructure in Bangladesh
Thesis Submitted — Under Examination
–
Mohd Fakhruddin Zainal Ashirin
Multi-Objective Hull Geometry Optimisation of a Semi-Submersible Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Using Surrogate-Assisted Design of Experiments
–
Rizki Multajam
Performance Evaluation of a Vision-Based Underwater Measurement and Fish Detection System Using Laser Rangefinding and YOLOv5
Completed
–
Fitriadi
Continuous Improvement in the Traditional Shipyard Industry: A Study of Lean Techniques and Best Practices
–
Siti Norbakyah Jabar
Modeling and Simulation of a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Recreational Boat
–
Ahmad Ali Imran Mohd Ali
Evaluating the Effect of Image Pre-Processing Techniques and Geodesic Active Contour Segmentation on Corrosion Detection in Marine Vessels
–
Md Mahadi Hasan Imran
Robust Ship Corrosion Detection Framework Using Contour Initialization and Active Contour Algorithm with Parallel Processing
–
Nur Izzati Mohd Jalal
Evaluation of a Neuroevolutionary Approach for Autonomous Surface Vehicle Manoeuvring in Restricted Waters
–
Hamizah Ismail
Marine Image Classification Using Convolutional Neural Networks
–
Zati Hanani Ismail
Autonomous Mobile Robot Controller Based on a Fuzzy Logic Control Algorithm for Navigation Issues
–
Nurru Anida Ibrahim
Development of a Driving Cycle in Kuala Terengganu City Using the K-Means Method
–
Mohd Fakhruddin Zainal Ashirin
Dynamic Response of an Installation Vessel with Catenary Mooring Lines
–
Idris Wasiu Olalekan
Forecasting Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion in the Sabah Trough
Research Collaborations
Japan
Prof. Dr. Kenjiro T. Miura
Shizuoka University — B-spline surface representation and autonomous vehicle development
Australia
Prof. Dr. Tapabrata Ray
University of New South Wales — Optimization algorithms and computational design
Indonesia
Dr. Mujiarto
Universitas Tasik Malaya — Regional maritime technology development
Malaysia
Dr. Nur Afande Ali Hussain
STRIDE, Ministry of Defense — Defense applications of autonomous systems
Malaysia
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zulkifli Zainal
Center for Autonomous Vehicle, IIUM — Autonomous vehicle development
Malaysia
Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd Rizal Arshad
Universiti Sains Malaysia — Academic Mentorship
Awards & Recognition
Annual Performance Appraisal · Pencapaian Prestasi Tahunan (LNPT), 2014–2025
Cemerlang (Excellent)
Sangat Baik (Very Good)
| Year | Rating |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Cemerlang |
| 2015 | Cemerlang |
| 2016 | Cemerlang |
| 2017 | Cemerlang |
| 2018 | Sangat Baik |
| 2019 | Cemerlang |
| 2020 | Cemerlang |
| 2021 | Cemerlang |
| 2022 | Sangat Baik |
| 2023 | Cemerlang |
| 2024 | Cemerlang |
| 2025 | Cemerlang |
Cemerlang in ten of twelve years; Sangat Baik in 2018 and 2022.