Research on Underwater Vehicle for Monitoring of Offshore Wind Generation Systems

A compact low cost lightweight ROV (Remotely operated underwater vehicle) has been developed to assist in the monitoring of offshore wind generation systems. The ROV successfully dove 76 meters to check the condition of the spa to the base and associated moorings of a floating offshore wind generator (Goto, Nagasaki, Japan). An abundance of sea life was also observed around the base as the base provides a kind of artificial reef which fosters a marine ecosystem. The design philosophy of this ROV and overall system are described in this paper including the proposed addition of robotic arms.