MARIOW – AI-powered Underwater Welding Robot for Maritime Maintenance

In the MARIOW project, an innovative underwater welding robot has been developed that can perform semi-autonomous welding tasks on maritime infrastructure. Using a stereo camera system and artificial intelligence, the robot independently detects weld seams and plans the welding process. A precise modular robotic arm executes the work, relieving divers from hazardous and time-consuming maintenance tasks.

The robot features a robotic arm developed at the DFKI. It can operate at depths of up to 6,000 meters, offers six degrees of freedom, and has a reach of two meters. Thanks to its modular joint design, the arm can be easily adapted to various applications.

The video shows the final phase of the project at DFKI in Bremen, including underwater testing of the robot, demonstration of the flux-cored arc welding process, and AI-based seam detection. The successful demonstration of automated underwater welding marks an important milestone toward making the maintenance of maritime structures safer, more cost-efficient, and more sustainable.

Project partners:
• German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Robotics Innovation Center
• AMT GmbH
• Unterwasserkrause – Mutzeck GmbH
• TH Köln – Institute for Material and Process Technology
• TH Köln – Laboratory for Autonomous Systems
• Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research (IGD)

The MARIOW project runs from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2025, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE).

More information: https://robotik.dfki-bremen.de/en/res...