A remotely operated device (ROV) driven by AI has conducted a fully autonomous inspection of a wind turbine off the coast of Scotland.

Beam, a UK provider of high-tech offshore wind services, used an ROV fitted with specialist technology to perform complex underwater surveys and asset inspections without any human intervention – “the world’s first”.

Performing manual underwater inspections of offshore wind turbines is a challenging and labour-intensive process.

Beam partnered with the energy company SSE Renewables to perform an inspection campaign on Seagreen, the world’s deepest fixed-bottom offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Scotland.

During this campaign, Beam’s ROV was used to inspect the jacket foundations and cables of a wind turbine and stream data directly back to shore.

According to Beam, data gathered by the ROV will support ongoing operational reliability at the site, offering valuable information on areas such as marine growth and potential erosion at the foundations...