OKI Provides Fixed Measurement Barge 'SEATEC NEO' as a Field for Demonstration, Supporting Real-Sea Tests for Unmanned Inspection of Offshore Wind Facilities Using AUVs
OKI, along with Toyo Engineering and others, conducted field tests using underwater drones (AUVs) to automate offshore wind turbine inspections and proposed a roadmap for 2030.
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- 📰 Published: March 30, 2026 at 20:00
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OKI, in collaboration with Toyo Engineering Corporation (President: Eiji Hosoi, hereafter TOYO), Nippon Steel Engineering Co., Ltd. (President: Yukito Ishiwa, hereafter NSE), and FullDepth Co., Ltd. (President: Satoshi Yoshiga, hereafter FullDepth), conducted a demonstration test aimed at automating underwater inspection tasks for offshore wind power facilities utilizing AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) and other technologies.
Demonstration tests utilizing AUVs and other equipment were conducted at 'SEATEC NEO', Japan's only fixed measurement barge owned by OKI and located in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. The tests clarified the future vision of inspection systems that will contribute to risk reduction and automation of underwater inspection tasks for offshore wind power facilities, and proposed a roadmap toward social implementation. This demonstration test was adopted by the 'Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Utilization Demonstration Project' of the Comprehensive Ocean Policy Promotion Secretariat, Cabinet Office, and was jointly executed by the four companies.
## Overview of the Demonstration Test
In October 2025, a demonstration test combining AUVs, ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles), and ASVs (Autonomous Surface Vehicles) was conducted at OKI's fixed measurement barge 'SEATEC NEO'. The underwater parts of the observation targets were inspected using video and sonar (acoustic exploration) to extract technical and operational issues (e.g., seabed inspection methods, operational structures, etc.) toward the automation and autonomous operation of underwater inspections for offshore wind power facilities. For details on the background of this demonstration test, the testing process, and the results, please watch the PR video (© Toyo Engineering).
## Proposal of a Roadmap for AUV Social Implementation
Based on the issues extracted from this demonstration test, the future vision of the inspection system in 2030 and 2040 was examined with the aim of improving the efficiency and reducing the cost of underwater inspections of offshore wind power facilities. The roles and optimal placement of marine robotics, such as a system configuration combining AUVs and ASVs to conduct wide-area inspection tasks autonomously and unmanned, were organized. Milestones for early social implementation, including technical development, verification, and long-term implementation tests, were arranged and proposed as a roadmap up to 2030.
Demonstration tests utilizing AUVs and other equipment were conducted at 'SEATEC NEO', Japan's only fixed measurement barge owned by OKI and located in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. The tests clarified the future vision of inspection systems that will contribute to risk reduction and automation of underwater inspection tasks for offshore wind power facilities, and proposed a roadmap toward social implementation. This demonstration test was adopted by the 'Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Utilization Demonstration Project' of the Comprehensive Ocean Policy Promotion Secretariat, Cabinet Office, and was jointly executed by the four companies.
## Overview of the Demonstration Test
In October 2025, a demonstration test combining AUVs, ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles), and ASVs (Autonomous Surface Vehicles) was conducted at OKI's fixed measurement barge 'SEATEC NEO'. The underwater parts of the observation targets were inspected using video and sonar (acoustic exploration) to extract technical and operational issues (e.g., seabed inspection methods, operational structures, etc.) toward the automation and autonomous operation of underwater inspections for offshore wind power facilities. For details on the background of this demonstration test, the testing process, and the results, please watch the PR video (© Toyo Engineering).
## Proposal of a Roadmap for AUV Social Implementation
Based on the issues extracted from this demonstration test, the future vision of the inspection system in 2030 and 2040 was examined with the aim of improving the efficiency and reducing the cost of underwater inspections of offshore wind power facilities. The roles and optimal placement of marine robotics, such as a system configuration combining AUVs and ASVs to conduct wide-area inspection tasks autonomously and unmanned, were organized. Milestones for early social implementation, including technical development, verification, and long-term implementation tests, were arranged and proposed as a roadmap up to 2030.