Marshall Futureworx launches UAV inspection system for offshore wind

Marshall Futureworx, part of UK’s Marshall Group, has unveiled a resident robotic ecosystem for the provision of offshore wind farm inspection services.

The product is called Lilypad and represents multiple beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which provide dynamic and on-demand offshore inspection via the use of artificial intelligence and navigational sensors, the company explained last week. The permanently resident autonomous UAVs are deployed from dedicated offshore charging stations. They are monitored by a single remote pilot in an onshore command and control centre.

Marshall Futureworx managing director Kieren Paterson said Lilypad is designed to support the significant growth and increasing remoteness of offshore wind farms. “Lilypad decouples the cost of inspection from sea state, distance from shore and seasonal considerations and eliminates the need for offshore personnel during inspections,” he pointed out.

The new system is a result of a partnership with industrial UAVs specialist ISS Aerospace and sees.ai, a provider of AI drone guidance and control software. It will be first displayed at the Global Offshore Wind Exhibition in London in June.

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