RPA
on wind turbine blades . It was founded by wind turbine engineer Chris Cieslak who was convinced that advanced robotics could transform offshore wind farm operations .
During a second phase £ 1 million project , with funding from Innovate UK , the robot is now road testing abilities such as ultra-sonic non-destructive testing of blade surfaces , surface mapping using an electronic skin , localised mapping and tools for repairing blade surfaces . It specialises in accomplishing the ‘ 5Ds ’ – tasks which are dull , dangerous , dextrous , dirty and dear ( expensive ). Last year BladeBUG joined the ORE Catapult ’ s national academy .
The iFROG , an amphibious robot capable of working in teams to clean and inspect monopiles above water level and up to 60 metres below (~ 6 bar ), successfully completed trials at ORE Catapult ’ s Blyth centre last December . By upping the frequency and quality of subsea inspections ,
“ Robots are not going to take over the world but they will get used where they have value . Autonomous systems become the arms and legs of big data ”
PROFESSOR ROBERT BUCKINGHAM DIRECTOR OF THE UK ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY
92 May 2021