Proposal of a Roadmap for Unmanned Inspection of Offshore Wind Power Facilities Using AUVs and Other Technologies

Toyo Engineering Corporation (TOYO), in collaboration with Nippon Steel Engineering Co., Ltd. (NSE), FullDepth Co., Ltd. (FullDepth), and OKI Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (OKI), has proposed a roadmap for the social implementation of a system that automates underwater inspection tasks for offshore wind power facilities using AUVs*¹ (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) and other technologies. This roadmap outlines the future vision of underwater inspection systems using AUVs to reduce risks and achieve unmanned operations for offshore wind power facilities, which are expected to expand significantly in the future.

This project was conducted after being selected for the "Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Utilization Demonstration Project" by the Cabinet Office's Secretariat for the Promotion of Comprehensive Ocean Policy.

■ Overview of the Demonstration Test

In preparation for creating the roadmap, a demonstration test was conducted in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, in October 2025, combining ROVs*² (Remotely Operated Vehicles), ASVs*³ (Autonomous Surface Vehicles), and AUVs. During this test, inspection tasks such as video recording and sonar detection were performed on the underwater sections of the observation target*⁴, identifying technical and operational challenges (such as inspection methods for seabed sections and operational structures) toward achieving autonomous and unmanned underwater inspections.

For details on the demonstration test, please watch the PR video here: https://youtu.be/GWxvVzF5R9M

■ Proposal of a Roadmap for AUV Social Implementation

Based on the challenges identified in the demonstration test, we examined the future vision of underwater inspection systems for 2030 and 2040, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce costs for offshore wind facility inspections. Specifically, we organized the optimal deployment of marine robotics, such as a system configuration combining ASVs and AUVs for autonomous and unmanned wide-area inspections. Additionally, we established milestones for the early social implementation of AUVs by 2030, including continuous technology development, verification, and long-term implementation testing, and proposed this as a roadmap.

【Key Initiatives by TOYO】

■ Conceptual Study for Commercializing Service Providers

To commercialize maintenance and inspection services for offshore wind operators, it is essential to have a "service provider" that can consolidate the technologies and systems of various partners—including equipment developers, owners, operators, and IT service providers—to comprehensively support user decision-making and execution. In this project, we examined and organized the roles, business models, and ecosystems of such service providers, assuming maintenance and inspection operations for offshore wind power projects.

■ Conceptual Study of Marine Data Utilization Infrastructure

Marine robotics like AUVs are expected to serve as core marine observation assets to acquire data currently lacking in Japan. In this project, we proposed the construction of a "Marine Data Space*⁶" as a foundation to safely and rapidly distribute and promote the use of marine data obtained through these assets. Realizing this infrastructure will contribute not only to offshore wind projects but also to cross-industry data utilization in sectors like fisheries and marine resource development, as well as strengthening Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA*⁷).

■ Future Outlook

Looking toward the social implementation of AUVs around 2030, TOYO aims to create new value in the marine industry by commercializing service providers for offshore wind projects and building marine data utilization infrastructure that contributes to the strengthening of MDA.

【Reference Information】

Implementation Structure

This project was jointly implemented by the following four companies. Please check each company's website for details on their respective roles.

• TOYO: Overall project management, coordination of challenges for social implementation, roadmap creation, and study of service providers/data infrastructure.
• NSE: Coordination of demonstration tests, organization of operational challenges for marine robotics, and study of service providers/data infrastructure.
• FullDepth: Provision and operation of the "DiveUnit 300 Lite" ROV and organization of technical challenges in AUV development.
• OKI: Provision and operation of the "SEATEC NEO" fixed measurement barge used in the test and organization of technical challenges in underwater infrastructure development.

Notes: *1 AUV: Unmanned underwater vehicle that operates autonomously. *2 ROV: Unmanned underwater vehicle operated remotely. *3 ASV: Unmanned vessel that navigates the water surface autonomously. *4 Observation target: The underwater section of the "SEATEC NEO" barge. *5 Future vision: An image of the inspection system around 2040 with fully autonomous/unmanned operations. *6 Data Space: A standardized mechanism for sharing data securely across organizations and industries. *7 MDA: Efforts to continuously collect, integrate, and analyze information related to maritime security and usage.