Underwater welding is one of the most demanding and hazardous tasks in the maritime and offshore world, relying heavily on a small, highly specialized pool of industrial divers. As port infrastructure ages
Underwater welding is one of the most demanding and hazardous tasks in the maritime and offshore world, relying heavily on a small, highly specialized pool of industrial divers. As port infrastructure ages and offshore structures expand, demand for underwater repair continues to outpace available manpower. A new research project out of Germany aims to fundamentally change that equation.
Led by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, the MARIOW (Maritime AI-Guided & Remote Operated Welding) project has developed a robotic system capable of performing underwater welding tasks largely autonomously. The technology combines artificial intelligence, advanced sensing and a purpose-built underwater robotic arm, laying the groundwork for automated subsea repairs that reduce risk, improve consistency and scale far beyond today’s diver-centric approaches.
Funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), MARIOW brings together a consortium spanning robotics, materials science, computer vision and industrial welding expertise. Partners include the DFKI Robotics Innovation Center in Bremen, the TH Köln, the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD, AMT GmbH and Unterwasserkrause – Mutzeck GmbH.
A Modular Manipulator Built for the Deep
At the heart of the MARIOW system is a modular underwater manipulator developed by DFKI. Designed for operation at
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