Internal wind turbine blade inspection with ASIO X
Proof of concept - Wind farm
10 minutes
per blade
45m
blade length
150m
pilot-to-drone
distance
Industry
Wind Energy
Introduction
Flybotix tested the ASIO X collision-tolerant drone for internal wind turbine blade inspection. The drone inspected both internal chambers of a 45-metre blade in approximately 10 minutes, with the pilot operating from outside the tower at a distance of 150 metres, without a range extender. Two operators and a pilot were sufficient for the mission, compared to a minimum of three required for traditional confined-space inspection.
By positioning the blades in a bunny-ear position (two blades up, one blade down), ASIO X can inspect two blades in a single hub lock, reducing the number of turbine stoppages required per inspection cycle.
Context
Internal blade inspection requires confined-space entry, a minimum of three trained personnel, and a dedicated turbine stoppage per blade. The tapering geometry toward the tip limits how far a technician can physically reach. In practice, a significant portion of the blade interior remains uninspected under current manned methods.
This proof of concept was conducted for a service provider specialising in internal inspections of wind turbine blades. The objective: test ASIO X’s ability to navigate both internal chambers of a blade and return usable inspection data.
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Operational setup
An operator brought the drone to the blade entry point.
The pilot remained outside the turbine, operating ASIO X at a distance of 150 metres throughout the flight, without range extender.
Total personnel inside the asset for the inspection: two. According to the service provider, a manned confined-space blade inspection requires at least three operators.
No blade entry required.
inspection scope
The drone flew both internal chambers of a 45-metre blade back and forth to approximately mid-length. Beyond that point, the blade’s tapered cross-section makes physical access impractical regardless of method. The service provider considered mid-length coverage a strong result given the geometry constraints.
Internal inspection targets delamination, laminate cracks, and fibre wrinkles, structural defects that external inspection alone cannot reliably detect.
ASIO X’s onboard lighting provided consistent illumination throughout both chambers.
Results
Both chambers inspected in approximately 10 minutes.
Coverage: root to mid-length on a 45-metre blade. Result validated by the service provider as positive given the tapering geometry constraints of the asset.
Footage captured throughout the flight. This shifts the inspection workflow from real-time on-site assessment, with the time pressure and access constraints of confined-space entry, to post-flight analysis, reviewable by multiple inspectors at any point.
Conclusion
The more significant finding from this proof of concept is not only the inspection time per blade, but also what becomes possible with that flight time in the context of a full maintenance intervention.
Manned internal inspection requires one hub lock per blade: entry, inspection, exit, restart. That constraint is structural, not operational. It cannot be optimised with a more efficient crew. For a three-blade rotor, that means three stoppages per full internal inspection cycle.
ASIO X has a flight time of up to 20 minutes. With the blades in bunny-ear position, an experienced pilot can inspect two blades in a single hub lock on one battery charge. This means two stoppages instead of three per turbine.
At fleet scale, it represents a significant difference.
Fewer stoppages, reduced crew exposure, and shorter setup time lower the operational threshold for scheduling regular internal inspections.
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