WindClimb Maintenance Robot Deployed in Norway: Inspecting Turbine Blades at 200 Meters Without Shutdown

Norwegian robotics company Scout Drone announced on May 28, 2029 that its WindClimb high-altitude wind maintenance robot completed its first commercial deployment at the Hywind floating wind farm in the North Sea. WindClimb autonomously crawls along turbine blades at 200-meter heights, using ultrasonic probes to detect micro-cracks inside blades and injecting repair resin on-site when damage is found.

Turbine blade maintenance has long been a pain point for the wind industry. Traditional methods require suspended platforms to lift inspectors to altitude, with work windows limited by wind speed (typically below 10 m/s), and each maintenance requiring 2-3 days of shutdown. WindClimb operates in winds up to 15 m/s without requiring turbine shutdown.

During its first commercial deployment at Hywind, WindClimb completed full blade inspection of 12 eight-megawatt turbines within one week, discovering 3 internal cracks previously undetected by manual inspection. Scout Drone says WindClimb's per-inspection cost is just 30% of manual methods, with plans to enter the UK and German offshore wind markets by end of 2029.