Drones for inspection at sea

KYRA Robotics ApS are developing a new solution for inspection and environmental surveillance at sea. The project is working with a drone-based system that can operate in tough offshore environments and reach places that today are expensive, difficult or dangerous to inspect in the usual way from ships.

“We are developing a drone-based system that can operate in demanding offshore environments and provide access to areas that today are expensive, difficult or dangerous to inspect with conventional methods,” says Matteo Fumagalli, founder of KYRA Robotics, and Professor Robotics at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

The drones can be used to inspect energy installations at sea, such as wind turbines, and to monitor the environment around them. The objective is to form a better overview of both the condition of the installations and the conditions in and near the water.

By making it easier to reach offshore locations, the technology can reduce the need for ships to make repeated inspection rounds. This will reduce costs, and at the same time reduce emissions from operations and maintenance.

The project supported by the Vissing Foundation includes developing a prototype, tests under controlled conditions and preparation of pilot projects in collaboration with players in the off-shore sector. In the longer term, the aim is to contribute to safer, more efficient and environment-friendly monitoring of energy installations at sea.