INGENIOUS BUT DOES 'BUG' POSE THREAT TO SCORES OF OFFSHORE WINDFARM JOBS?

                                            

Ingenious - the BladeBUG takes a stroll

A NEW crawling robot could enhance efficiency and save costs  at offshore windfarms - but at what cost jobs?

Known as the BladeBUG, the robot can inspect turbine blades for cracks or other signs of damage - for instance, any caused by bird collisions.

BladeBUG's inventor is Chris Cieslak.  

While working as a turbine blade engineer, he became convinced that advanced robotics could transform operations at offshore wind farms, reducing costs and maximising asset lifetimes.

Trials with the ingenious device, which has vacuum-padded feet, are due to run until the end of next year.

By then, it is hoped the robot will be super-efficient not only at inspecting blade surfaces for emergent cracks and imperfections but also at transmitting data the back to shore.

Says Chris: "The BladeBUG can be operated out of the line of sight, meaning technicians can remotely perform maintenance tasks without the associated cost and without being exposed to harsh conditions."

Any downsides?  

It would seem that, ultimately, BladeBug could pose a threat to scores of turbine-inspection jobs based in Grimsby and elsewhere.