Novel autonomous vehicles to improve offshore wind maintenance

UK underwater technology company SMD is partnering with deep technology company Beam to mobilise autonomous vehicles to improve maintenance in harsh offshore environments.

The partners aim to improve the efficiency of offshore wind farm maintenance by mounting Beam's subsea perception system, SubSLAM, on top of SMD's Quantum EV.

SubSLAM will operate Beam’s Pathfinder software, combining localisation, AI and mapping technology with Quantum EV’s high-current performance. The combination will allow for autonomous piloting in harsher and deeper waters, according to SMD.

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SMD’s ROV sales and business development manager, John McCann, commented in a statement: “SubSLAM’S real-time 3D mapping, data collection, and image capture capabilities represent a huge step towards fully autonomous ROV operations. When mounted to a powerful, steady vehicle like the Quantum EV, these capabilities are unlocked in even deeper waters.”

According to Beam, using autonomous vehicles for inspections and maintenance will improve efficiency and minimise operational costs for offshore wind farms. Simon Adams, programme director at Beam, added: “These inspections also require less manpower, which is critical in an industry facing a workforce shortage.”

SMD's Quantum EV is designed to work in the strongest currents, and is built for remote long-term submersion with longer service intervals. The machine is cable or battery powered with a modular architecture and is designed to maximise data handling.

Marc Coull, programme director – service innovation at Beam, added: “...SMD’s Quantum EV comes with superior payload, more space for intervention equipment, and unparalleled speed and power. It’s exactly what we need to evolve our deep-sea missions.

This news follows the recent announcement from Beam about the launch of Scout, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) driven by AI.

The new solution, recently demonstrated at SSE’s Seagreen Wind Farm in September, will combine AI, real-time 3D reconstructions, and precise navigation to enhance offshore inspections. Scout will be deployed directly by people from existing crew transfer vessels (CTVs) during routine visits.