Successful Remote Automated Inspection of Offshore Wind Power Facilities Using Vehicle-Mounted Drone Port

Akita Offshore Wind Corporation (Headquarters: Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture, President: Soichi Inoue, hereinafter referred to as Akita Offshore Wind) and KDDI Smart Drone Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Masafumi Hirohino, hereinafter referred to as KDDI Smart Drone) have successfully completed a demonstration (hereinafter referred to as "This Demonstration") of remote automated inspection of blade exteriors using a vehicle-mounted drone port at an offshore wind power facility operated by Akita Offshore Wind, from March 23rd to 26th, 2026.

This Demonstration utilized a vehicle-mounted drone port, equipped with automatic takeoff/landing and automatic charging functions, with the aim of efficiently inspecting multiple offshore wind power facilities. Flight instructions were issued remotely from the business office, confirming the ability to remotely grasp the condition of dirt, scratches, and other issues on the exterior of the wind turbine blades.

This Demonstration confirmed that drone operators can initiate inspections remotely from land at the required timing, without needing to travel to the landing and takeoff site. This may allow for visual confirmation of blade exteriors from land, even when it is difficult for workers to travel to the offshore wind power facilities by dedicated ship, provided flight conditions are met.

Furthermore, by utilizing the vehicle-mounted drone port, it was confirmed that blades rotating slowly or in a stopped state can be inspected in approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour per unit, from the arrival of the vehicle at the takeoff/landing location to the completion of the inspection. In cases where power generation previously had to be stopped for exterior inspections, this is expected to contribute to reduced inspection waiting times and quicker situation assessment and early recovery in the event of equipment abnormalities.

Background

For offshore wind power facilities, continuous inspection and maintenance of equipment, including blades, are crucial for stable power generation. Blades, in particular, are at risk of damage from lightning strikes and flying debris, requiring rapid situation assessment in case of abnormalities.

However, as offshore wind power facilities are located offshore, conventional inspections require maintenance personnel to travel to the site by dedicated ship. This makes them susceptible to weather and sea conditions, potentially causing delays in starting inspections, and also poses a burden on personnel travel.

To address these challenges, there has been a demand for a system that allows for remote visual inspection of blades from land, thereby shortening lead times for inspection starts, improving the efficiency of maintenance operations, enabling rapid assessment of equipment abnormalities, and reducing the burden of personnel travel.

Details of the Initiative

In This Demonstration, KDDI Smart Drone leveraged its expertise gained from over 10,000 remote operations to acquire still images and video of the exterior of blades using a vehicle-mounted drone port at four offshore wind power facilities located in the waters of Noshiro Port and Akita Port, operated by Akita Offshore Wind.

Verification Items

Details

Verification Results

Operationality of Vehicle-Mounted Drone Port

Verified whether the drone port, mounted on a vehicle, can be flexibly deployed and operated according to the facility to be inspected.

- Confirmed stable takeoff/landing and operation from various locations. Verified its effectiveness for efficient inspection of multiple offshore wind power facilities.

Remote Operation Performance

Verified whether the vehicle-mounted drone port can be operated safely and accurately from a remote location based on pre-set flight routes and restricted flight areas.

- Confirmed normal operation in response to remote takeoff commands, allowing inspections to begin without local personnel needing to travel to the takeoff/landing site.

- Confirmed that the automatic deceleration and return functions operate normally when approaching restricted flight areas, ensuring highly safe operations.

Blade Exterior Inspection

Verified whether the exterior, such as scratches and dirt, can be visually confirmed remotely for blades rotating slowly or in a stopped state.

- Confirmed that even at a separation distance of approximately 90m from the blade, scratches, dirt, repair marks, and even handwritten characters could be visually identified in real-time video, confirming its effectiveness for safe and efficient inspection without approaching the equipment closely.

Communication Stability

Verified communication stability during remote operations using Wi-Fi (2.4GHz), aerial radio waves (4G LTE), and Starlink circuits.

- Confirmed stable remote operations in each communication environment.

- Verified the effectiveness of expanding operational areas by utilizing Starlink circuits even in locations with unstable communication environments.

Equipment Used

【DJI Dock 3】

Item

Specifications

Dimensions

Deployed: 1760 × 745 × 485mm / Stowed: 640 × 745 × 770mm

Weight

55kg (excluding drone)

Ingress Protection Rating

IP56

Operating Temperature

-30℃ to 50℃

Charging Time

Approx. 27 minutes

Maximum Landing Wind Speed

12m/s

【DJI Matrice 4TD】

Item

Specifications

Dimensions

377.7 × 416.2 × 212.5mm (L×W×H, excluding propellers)

Weight

1,850g

Ingress Protection Rating

IP55

Maximum Flight Distance

43km

Maximum Flight Speed

21m/s

Maximum Wind Resistance Speed

12m/s

Roles of Each Company

Akita Offshore Wind

- Provided the demonstration site (Akita Offshore Wind Power Plant)

- Provided offshore wind power facilities and inspection targets (blades)

- Coordinated with local stakeholders, etc.

KDDI Smart Drone

- Provided the vehicle-mounted drone port

- Provided aerial radio wave (4G LTE) and Starlink circuits

- Provided the remote operation system and conducted remote operations

- Obtained flight permits

Future Initiatives

Based on the knowledge gained from This Demonstration, KDDI Smart Drone and Akita Offshore Wind will promote the practical application of remote automated inspection of offshore wind power facilities using vehicle-mounted drone ports. In the future, by establishing a system that enables rapid remote inspections of offshore wind power facilities, which are susceptible to weather and sea conditions, they aim to improve the safety of inspection work and reduce power generation downtime. This will support the stable operation of offshore wind power, contributing to the further spread and expansion of renewable energy.

End