Greater automation
Future research aims to improve autonomous machines’ ability to perform precise tasks – such as using robotic arms to detect rust or fix electric equipment – while holding a steady position in water.
Increasing the use of autonomous robots to help maintain offshore renewable installations could have a transformative effect on cutting the cost of producing clean energy. Advancing this technology further could help bring about a step change in the adoption of unmanned robots at sea and drastically increase the degree of automation in the offshore sector.
The study, published in the International Journal of Robotics Research, received funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.