Mobile Robot Crane Platform

Challenge

To support and achieve the green transition, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany agreed in 2022 to install 10,000 additional offshore wind turbines in the North Sea by 2050. Conventional offshore wind turbines are mounted on seabed foundations, and the growing demand for larger and more powerful turbines necessitates the production of equally large and stable foundations under challenging working conditions.

Conducting welding work for offshore structures in the energy sector at heights of 15–20 meters complicates welding precision due to wind and weather conditions. Current robotic and platform technologies are insufficient for executing precise welding tasks at such heights. Additionally, there is a shortage of qualified welders, especially given the urgency of accelerating the green transition. While skilled labor will still be essential, the demand for larger and more robust offshore wind turbines requires the development of robotic and automated processes to reduce working time, costs, and the environmental and climate impacts of these operations.

Solution

The Mobile Robot Crane Platform project addresses the challenges of offshore structure installation by developing an innovative robotic platform capable of performing automated high-precision welding at heights of 15–20 meters. The platform integrates a novel combination of existing components, resulting in a robotic solution that exceeds the current state of the art. The system consists of a platform (the body), a crane (the arm), and a robot (the hand). These components are mathematically coordinated to collaborate on welding tasks.

The precision of welding at such heights is often compromised by wind and weather. The mathematical models will calculate and account for these variables individually, ensuring the technologies work together to compensate for and incorporate these external factors, maintaining welding accuracy.

Although the project initially focuses on welding offshore structures, the technology is being developed for multifunctionality. Several companies have expressed interest in extending its applications to other industrial tasks, such as painting, cutting, and more. The project is anchored at SCU Center for Large Structure Production (LSP) in collaboration with Inrotech, a producer of welding robots; Bladt, a developer of offshore wind turbine foundations; and Odense Robotics, which supports the broader application of the technology across industries. Energy Cluster Denmark (ECD) is responsible for disseminating the project’s outcomes to the wider energy sector.

Impact

The project is expected to significantly reduce costs in several areas:

Fewer manual welders will be needed, which reduces the risk of workplace injuries and improves worker health, as robots take over high-risk tasks.

Increased precision will lead to lower material consumption.

The environmental and climate impacts of the work processes will be reduced.

Beyond welding offshore structures, the technology holds potential applications in other energy sector tasks and industrial processes, such as automation of surface treatment, scanning, and lifecycle stages like repair and recycling. Advanced applications are being explored by third-party companies, broadening the technology's use cases.

The project will contribute to the green transition by enabling faster and more cost-effective expansion of offshore wind turbines.

Objective

If the consortium succeeds in developing and implementing large, automated, mobile robotic solutions with multi-tools capable of precision welding and assembling offshore mega-structures such as wind turbines, it will support the overall green transition.