Machine Learning & A.I. Business Supports Canadian Simulation Tech Company to Digitise, Test & Validate Aerial Deployment of Robotic Technology on Windfarms
One of the UK’s leading machine learning and applied AI Innovators specializing in the energy sector – Nottingham-based Cognitive Business – has announced it has successfully worked in collaboration with the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (OREC) and global simulation technology company, CAE, to deliver a proof of concept simulating the aerial deployment of robotics to an offshore windfarm.
Innovate UK and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (OREC) are working with industry partners to lead the world into a new Green Industrial Revolution through investment in clean technologies. A collaborative effort utilizing wind energy targets an objective of quadrupling offshore wind capacity by 2030.
The DOME Project – Digital Operations and Maintenance Environment Project – comprises a consortium of companies, universities and Subject Matter Experts. DOME is focused on building an open simulation platform enabling complex system interactions to be tested and validated.
As part of this consortium, Cognitive and CAE worked together to provide test and validation for aerial deployment of robotic technology offshore using DOME. The collaboration produced three-dimensional winds that were modelled and calibrated to known offshore wind farm parameters. Wind, asset, and environmental interactions provided a simulation capable of delivering the complexity required to produce highly accurate and realistic flight conditions. The digital environment enabled the test and validation of a 4-prop ariel drone carrying a 25kg maintenance and inspection robot in winds up to 10m/s.
Providing subject matter expertise and experience, Cognitive worked with the technology specialist, CAE, to enable accurate modelling of the wind farm and to build a control-room-ready system which interfaced with the simulation from the cloud.
Speaking about the work, Ty Burridge Oakland, Managing Director at Cognitive Business said; “We are obviously delighted to be working as part of the DOME consortium and to have worked in collaboration with CAE bringing our expertise to the project. This simulation has now provided a first stage proof of concept for the successful aerial deployment of robotics to windfarms, and a platform from which DOME can be expanded in the next round of funding.”
“Collaboration with Cognitive Business in developing the DOME proof of concept leverages CAE’s expertise in synthetic environments, autonomous drones and computational fluid dynamics. The resulting digital twin demonstrated the potential of using virtual environments to conceive and test innovative approaches to support the growth of offshore renewable energy.” Said David Bentley, Managing Director CAE (UK) plc and CAE ATS plc.
Established in 2018, Cognitive Business is an industry leader in machine learning and applied A.I, developing a wide range of decision support, performance monitoring, and predictive maintenance solutions for a broad range of energy operations and maintenance applications.
Last month the business announced it had been awarded the work to provide the Robin Rigg windfarm with a suite of A.I. Pattern Recognition and Production Forecasting technology that will enable the owner operator to predict the direction of maintenance programmes and maximise operational performance across its site.
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