The National Robotarium is supporting 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 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.

The technology is currently 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 firm, Frontier Robotics, and supported by the National Robotarium.

David Morrison, project manager at the National Robotarium, the UK’s centre for robotics and AI, 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 7,000 litres per day to just 200 litres. This could significantly lower both operational costs and the carbon footprint of maintenance.”

It is hoped that 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.

“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,” said Jonatan Scharff Willners, CEO of Frontier Robotics.

Furthermore, the partnership is 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.

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The UK has more than 2,600 offshore wind turbines, with plans to quadruple capacity by 2030. On average, each turbine requires up to three maintenance check-ups per year, a frequency that increases as turbines age.

Mark Bruce, global product manager of Next Generation ROV Systems at Fugro, said: “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 3 hours, compared to the current industry standard of 3 weeks – a potential 1500-fold improvement in speed.”