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Safe.
Fast.
Adaptable.

As the offshore wind industry enters a rapid phase of growth, the challenges to keeping turbines spinning and optimised grow with it.

At BladeBUG we are developing advanced robots to assist technicians in the inspection and repair of turbine blades, without the need for rope access.

The BladeBUG inspect-and-repair crawler robot
Semi-autonomous

Reduce barriers of use

BladeBUG’s Crawler robot can be operated out of the line of sight meaning technicians can remotely perform maintenance tasks without the associated cost and without being exposed to harsh conditions.

Lightweight

Reduce downtime

The speed of deployment and ease of use means O&M teams can treat defects before it would be viable to use a traditional rope access team. This preventative maintenance increases the efficiency of the turbine and maximises the low carbon energy generated.

Modular Design

Reduce Duplication

The modular design of the robot body can accept different non-destructive testing and repair equipment making it flexible while offshore.

Robots and humans working together can do great things. Our vision is for automation and robotics to play its part in ensuring safe, scalable growth of the offshore wind industry.

Want to find out more? Book a meeting

 

The BladeBUG concept recognises that there is a safer, more cost-effective and efficient way of working

Chris Hill Operational Performance Director ORE Catapult

Our latest developments are informed by observers from several global wind industry operators: their feedback is crucial in getting our product to market.

Chris Cieslak Founder

Our Story

Whilst working as a turbine blade engineer BladeBUG founder, Chris Cieslak, became convinced that advanced robotics could transform operations at offshore wind farms, reducing costs and maximising asset lifetimes.

2014: Concept Exploration

Based out of his shed, Chris explored various robotic forms including a wheel of suction feet and track methods. In 2017, Chris took the leap to work full-time on BladeBUG.

2017: Hexapod form

In 2017 Chris settled on a six-legged version of the robot, capable of adapting to various forms for grip and movement.

BladebUG was awarded grant funding from Innovate UK as part of the Technologies for Extreme and Challenging Environments Competition.

Phase 1

During 2017 and 2018 BladeBUG explored and tested various elements of the robot design to ensure maximum results from the smallest and simplest form possible.

BladeBUG Mk1

The BladeBUG Mk1 robot was complete and capable of securely gripping all areas of a blade.

In 2019 BladeBUG was awarded further funding from Innovate UK for the next phase of Technologies for Extreme and Challenging Environments. The Phase 2 project will run until February 2021.

Phase 2

During 2019 and 2020 our team has grown to seven full-time staff and the robot has evolved to a full walking and surface scanning demonstrator.

MIMRee Project Multi-Platform Inspection, Maintenance and Repair in Extreme Environments

2020: NDT and Repair

During 2020 development work took place on non destructive test and repair capabilities for the robot.

World's first offshore robotic "blade walk"

In October 2020, the BladeBUG robot successfully walked on a 7WM offshore wind turbine in Scotland.

Team

Chris Cieslak

Chris Cieslak

Founder, CEO

Multi-faceted engineer with 10 years experience in wind turbine blade design.

Peter Childs

Peter Childs

Chair

Professorial Lead in Engineering Design and was the founding Head of the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London.

Stacey Rivers

CIO, Director of Operations

28 years of experience in offshore and subsea operations focusing on challenging and high-risk projects in harsh environments. She is a Chartered Marine Technologist and a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology.

Support and Funding

We are proud to be supported financially and through the continued mentorship from:

  • Innovate UK
  • Offshore Renewable Eneregy Catapult
  • Imperial Enterprise Lab
  • National Launch Academy


To find out about our investment strategy email invest@bladebug.co.uk