Beam, a Bristol-based robotics company, has deployed what it describes as "the World's First AI-Driven Autonomous Underwater Vehicle" to inspect offshore wind turbines in Scotland. The invention appears promising as a way to make inspections quicker and safer, avoiding the need for workers to go underwater themselves; apparently it also provides higher-quality inspection data than was available before.
The current hype around AI mostly focusses on automatic generation of text and images, so it's easy to forget that generative AI isn't the only (or the first) kind. AI relating to some kind of physical (e.g. robot) body is often called "embodied AI", and it's heartening to see applications like this one that have the potential to provide tangible real-world benefits by handling difficult or dangerous tasks.
Indeed, I personally don't want an AI to generate text for me since writing is something I enjoy doing; on the other hand, I don't really want to dive into the North Sea and inspect a wind turbine, so if an AI-powered robot can do that I'm all for it.
The AI-powered vehicle represents a significant leap forward in marine technology and underwater robotics. Capable of conducting complex underwater inspections without human intervention, it promises to dramatically enhance efficiency and slash costs associated with underwater surveys and inspections.
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