Beam has unveiled Scout, an AI-powered autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) system for subsea inspections aimed at the offshore wind industry.. 

The company says its AUV will combine AI, 3D reconstructions and navigation to deliver inspections, adding that its autonomous self-driving capabilities require minimal human intervention and instead reporting back at the end of the mission. 

Beam intends for Scout to be deployed directly by people from existing crew transfer vessels during routine visits, enabling a wider pool of people to manage subsea wind farm maintenance.

“Our mission has always been to make offshore wind not just a viable energy source, but the most desirable one,” says Brian Allen, Beam’s founder and CEO. 

“Scout will place world-leading technology directly into the hands of wind farm operators and accelerate the industry’s growth at a critical time. Meeting national and international capacity targets will require all operators, not just those with extensive resources, to scale their operations at pace. Scout is therefore a crucial part of enabling the future of offshore wind.”

Scout is set for market release next year.