Development of a Cooperative Multi-Drone System for Offshore Wind Turbine Inspection

概要

This paper proposes a novel cooperative drone-based system for the maintenance and inspection of offshore wind turbines. Current inspection techniques face limitations such as high costs, safety risks, and operational instability, particularly due to wind disturbances. The proposed system integrates multiple interconnected drones to enhance vertical mobility and stability, enabling both contact and non-contact inspection methods. The design is validated through a scaled mockup of a wind turbine, with preliminary experiments demonstrating the feasibility of the control methods. Results suggest that the proposed system offers a promising solution for efficient, safe, and scalable offshore wind turbine inspections.