New autonomous subsea technology addresses offshore wind needs
Beam, a pioneer in deep-tech innovation, has unveiled Scout, its latest autonomous subsea robotic system, designed to transform offshore wind inspection and maintenance. Equipped with AI, 3D vision and robotics, Scout tackles critical challenges in the sector, reducing costs and enhancing the efficiency of offshore wind energy production. The announcement took centre stage at Web Summit 2024, one of the world’s premier technology conferences.
Brian Allen, CEO of Beam, highlighted the urgency of innovation in renewable energy: “It’s never been more important to find ways to cut costs and project timelines.”
Scout offers groundbreaking capabilities, including 3D reconstruction, stereo 4K video and precise navigation, which enable faster and more cost-effective inspections. According to Kari Dempsey, Beam’s CTO, the robot is the result of years of development: “The algorithms we are using now can assess any kind of infrastructure without having any prior knowledge of it. This gives Scout the ability to navigate and map the environment that it’s in.”
Scout processes data through Beam’s EdgeAI system, which packages information into smaller, actionable datasets that can be accessed via its Vaantage platform.
Complementing human efforts
Joe Tidball, the executive vice-president of service innovation, discussed how Scout could help address the skills gap in offshore wind industries. He explained that while governments are increasingly pushing offshore wind as a sustainable energy source, the workforce is struggling to keep up with demand. “In the UK, there are currently just 30,000 people working in offshore wind,” Tidball stated. “To make wind energy viable, that number needs to reach 100,000 by 2030 – that’s an additional 70,000 people.” Scout, with its advanced capabilities, is designed to support this growth by complementing human efforts and helping the sector meet its ambitious targets.
By enabling inspections to be conducted directly by crew transfer vessel (CTV) teams, Scout simplifies operations and reduces reliance on large, specialist crews.
Beam’s innovations are designed to cut costs significantly for offshore wind operators. Speaking about the potential savings, Tidball noted: “Scout’s AV reduces inspection time costs by one or two orders of magnitude, making inspections far more affordable than traditional methods that rely on large vessels and extensive resources.”
Scout also integrates with Beam’s digital twin capabilities, providing detailed 3D reconstructions of assets. Tidball zoomed in on the value this offers for ongoing maintenance by noting: “Energy firms will want to spend as little money as possible maintaining their assets – but they will still need to maintain them at quite a high standard.”
