Innovate UK has launched a collaborative initiative with robotics software developer BOW, the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, and maritime technology company ACUA Ocean to develop an autonomous inspection system for offshore wind farms. The project, named O.S.I.R.I.S. (Offshore Swarm for Inspection and Renewable Infrastructure Servicing), will test the use of integrated aerial and underwater robotics to reduce maintenance costs and improve safety and operational efficiency.
Set to deliver a fully autonomous inspection system by 2027, the project will deploy a coordinated network of drones and autonomous underwater vehicles managed from a hydrogen-powered unmanned surface vessel (H-USV) developed by ACUA Ocean. The vessel will serve as a mobile platform for real-time coordination between robotic systems during offshore inspections.
BOW’s robotics software development kit (SDK) will be integrated into ORE Catapult’s Synthetic Test and Unified Demonstration System (STUDS), a simulation platform designed to test and validate robotic models under realistic offshore conditions. The integration aims to enhance the ability to simulate and coordinate operations involving heterogeneous robotic fleets, including aerial, surface, and subsea units.
According to ORE Catapult, operations and maintenance activities account for around a quarter of an offshore wind farm’s total lifecycle costs. Traditional inspection methods rely heavily on human-operated vessels and equipment, which can be time-consuming and carry safety risks. By introducing autonomous systems, the O.S.I.R.I.S. project aims to address these challenges and support the UK’s strategy for expanding offshore wind capacity.
The UK currently represents 43% of Europe’s offshore wind capacity and generated 49 terawatt-hours of electricity from offshore wind in the most recent reporting period, enough to power approximately half of UK households. Government plans include a target to quadruple offshore wind capacity by 2030 as part of the broader Net Zero emissions goal.
The project builds on BOW’s recent £4 million seed funding round, which is intended to support further development of its robotics platform. The company’s software enables cross-platform integration of robotics systems, allowing developers to design and deploy solutions using the programming languages and operating systems of their choice.
