Underwater structures such as offshore wind turbines, bridge piers, or port infrastructure are exposed to extreme conditions. Repairing damage to their steel structures is complex and expensive. In the “RoLaKI” project, LZH, the Institute of Information Processing (TNT) at Leibniz University Hannover, and OFTEC Handelsgesellschaft für Oberflächentechnik mbH are working on a solution: they are developing a process that allows steel structures to be coated over large areas underwater or repaired by “printing on” new structures.
Credit: LZH
Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge
Scientists at LZH aim to develop an AI-supported system for underwater repair as part of the RoLaKI project
Laser and AI Work Together
At the core of the project is laser-based 3D printing underwater. The researchers first investigate how various process parameters influence layer formation and the processing result. Using this data, they then train an artificial intelligence (AI) that learns autonomously and predicts optimal parameters for new repair tasks. In addition, they aim to design an AI-supported path planning system that calculates the best way to repair a damaged area.
Special Technology for Use Underwater
For use outside the laboratory, the team is developing a special laser processing optic. This will combine the optical components with the wire feed used in the coating process. The optic will be mounted on a fine positioning system attached to a magnetic crawler that transports the system underwater to the damaged site. This fine positioning system makes it possible to build weld seams precisely next to and on top of each other. By the end of the project, the partners aim to demonstrate the entire process using a prototype.