The UK’s National Robotarium has thrown its weight behind the development of new artificial intelligence and control systems that could allow underwater robots to operate autonomously and with high precision in turbulent seas, potentially revolutionising maintenance and repair tasks for offshore wind turbines.
The technology is undergoing trials as part of the UNITE project, an EPSRC Prosperity Partnership programme led by Heriot-Watt University in collaboration with Imperial College London, geo-data specialist Fugro and underwater software development expert Frontier Robotics, and supported by the National Robotarium centre for robotics and AI.
The project’s technological advancements could dramatically reduce the need for large maintenance vessels in offshore wind farm operations, supporting a shift towards fully remote operations and significantly enhancing safety by reducing the need for personnel to work in hazardous offshore environments.
National Robotarium project manager David Morrison said: “Our trials are showing promising results in enabling underwater robots to maintain stable contact with offshore structures in challenging conditions.
“If successful, the technology could transform offshore wind maintenance, potentially reducing fuel consumption of maintenance missions by up to 97% – from 7000 litres per day to just 200 litres.
“This could significantly lower both operational costs and the carbon footprint of maintenance.”
Professor of robotics at Heriot Watt University and National Robotarium academic co-lead Yvan Petillot said: “The UNITE project was co-created with Fugro to develop the next generation of autonomy-enabled robotics solutions for offshore inspection and maintenance.
“We are especially interested in subsea inspection and manipulation in dynamic environments where existing solutions cannot be used.”
It is hoped autonomous underwater robots could perform a wide range of essential maintenance tasks on offshore wind turbines, including taking precise measurements, conducting visual inspections, cleaning structures, and repairing identified defects.
To achieve this level of autonomous operation, the project aims to solve the “chicken head problem” – keeping a robot’s arm or tool steady against a structure despite being buffeted by currents and waves.
To meet this challenge, advanced control systems and machine learning algorithms are being developed to allow robots to adapt in real-time to changing conditions.
Additionally, the project is advancing 3D semantic mapping capabilities, enabling robots to create detailed maps of their underwater environment. This could enhance a robot’s ability to navigate complex structures and identify components needing attention.
The partnership is also advancing the coordination of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Electric ROVs (eROVs) deployed from Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs).
This coordination is important for achieving fully autonomous inspections and further reducing the need for support vessels and human divers.
The UK has more than 2600 offshore wind turbines, with plans to quadruple capacity by 2030, and on average each unit requires up to three maintenance check-ups per year, a frequency that increases as machines age.
Global product manager of next generation ROV systems at Fugro Mark Bruce said: “After a career working in harsh offshore environments, I’m proud of what Fugro has achieved.
“Our USVs and ROVs deliver unmatched efficiency, hugely reduced environmental impact, and most importantly they eliminate human risk offshore by removing people from harm’s way.
“Our remote operations centres have been operating for 10 years, during which time we have refined and improved our solutions.”
Frontier Robotics, based at the National Robotarium, is providing state-of-the-art perception, mapping and autonomy technologies for the project, integrating advanced stereo camera systems with edge computing to support the AI systems being tested.
If successful, the system could deliver data insights in just three hours, compared to the current industry standard of three weeks – a potential 1500-fold improvement in speed.
Frontier Robotics chief executive Jonatan Scharff Willners said: “With the exponential growth of offshore infrastructure, we need to look towards deploying more AI, robots and autonomy to enable the industry to take advantage of new technologies to work even more efficiently and to scale with the global demand.
“It is great to work closely with Heriot-Watt University, the National Robotarium and Fugro to tackle these highly important problems, which are key components if we want to transition to renewable energy using a greener and more sustainable supply chain.”