Key role for robotic surveyors in offshore O&M

摘要

Offshore wind has been one of the UK's stand-out industrial successes and the economic opportunities to capitalise on its global expansion are vast, not just for the existing offshore wind supply chain, but for businesses in other sectors too. This is where I see robotics and autonomous technologies playing a vital role. They provide the UK with an unparalleled opportunity: we can leverage our competitive advantage with a world-leading robotics and autonomous systems sector to develop solutions for a global market. It sounds like an ambitious goal, but one I believe is achievable by embracing new technology to help operate and maintain offshore windfarms. At the same time, we know that autonomous systems are potentially capable of fulfilling most offshore maintenance tasks, but they are yet to be demonstrated in a full-scale deployment in the UK.