Robot for maintenance in the Wind sector.

Some of the most dangerous and in-demand jobs that exist. Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Blade Robotics announced a strategic alliance to automate the maintenance of the leading edges of wind turbine blades, which is one of the most dangerous and critical tasks in the sector. The solution combines the K-Racer unmanned helicopter with a specialized robot capable of carrying out repairs directly on the blade without the presence of human technicians at extreme heights. Today this type of maintenance is carried out manually by highly trained professionals, suspended by cables, and facing wind, cold and constant risk, the problem is that in addition to the danger, this model depends on an increasingly scarce workforce. Global wind power has already exceeded 1 TW of installed capacity, each turbine requires regular maintenance to maintain aerodynamic efficiency and avoid generation losses.

The leading edge of the blades is especially vulnerable to wear caused by rain, dust, salt and ice.

The new system completely changes the logic, the helicopter transports the robot to the enormous shovel, positions it with great precision and from there the robot executes the repair in an automatic, standardized and repeatable way, when it is finished it is picked up and taken back to the ground.

The technology has already been tested at a wind farm in Denmark with support from Vestas under strong wind conditions, exactly the scenario where humans should not normally be working. The system demonstrated stability, precision, and operability even in these adverse environments.

And here comes the uncomfortable part.

This is not just a robot helping humans, it is a robot replacing a highly specialized technical function and doing it better, with less risk and more predictability. When dangerous tasks stop justifying human presence, the question stops being whether automation will arrive and becomes how many professions will survive intact.