Research & Development World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Snake Robots to Handle Subsea Maintenance

By R&D Editors | April 20, 2016

A disruptive solution for underwater inspection and maintenance in the form of a swimming robot. Source:  Kongsberg It slithers along the dark water’s surface, a beam of light emanating from its anterior. And then, it submerges to investigate the world below.

While the above description may sound like a sea monster sighting of yesteryear, it actually has a manmade explanation.

Roboticists have long been exploring the efficacy of snake robots in a variety of fields, from medical surgery to search-and-rescue missions in disaster areas. Now, Norwegian companies are banding together to create snake robots meant for subsea inspection, maintenance, and repair. 

Norwegian University of Science and Technology spinoff company Eelume recently signed an agreement with Kongsberg Maritime and Statoil to accelerate the technology’s development.

According to Kongsberg, the snake robots will be installed on the seabed and could replace the use of larger vessels.

“This partnership offers the chance to bring radical technology to the market, not just in what the Eelume robot can do, but how it does it,” said Bjørn Jalving, Kongsberg Maritime’s subsea division’s executive vice president, in a statement. “It is a new tool that will enable operators to realize large-scale cost savings by introducing new ways of conducting routine tasks and helping prevent unscheduled shutdowns by reacting instantly when required.”

Due to its maneuverability, the companies said that the snake robot will be able to function in confined areas, which once posed problems for maintenance.

“Now we take the step from academia and into the commercial world to secure our place in the new and exciting subsea intervention landscape,” said Eelume CTO Pål Liljebäck in a statement.

You can check out the robot in the following videos.  

Swimming Robot for Maintenance and Inspections

 

Swimming Robot With Thrusters

 

R&D 100 AWARD ENTRIES NOW OPEN:

Establish your company as a technology leader! For more than 50 years, the R&D 100 Awards have showcased new products of technological significance. You can join this exclusive community! Learn more.

Related Articles Read More >

NASA taps 100 million satellite images to train an open geospatial foundation model
Why Google DeepMind’s AlphaEvolve incremental math and server wins could signal future R&D payoffs
2025 R&D layoffs tracker tops 92,000
Is your factory (or lab) ready to think? An insider’s take on next-gen automation and what really works
rd newsletter
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, trends, and strategies in Research & Development.
RD 25 Power Index

R&D World Digital Issues

Fall 2024 issue

Browse the most current issue of R&D World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading R&D magazine today.

Research & Development World
  • Subscribe to R&D World Magazine
  • Enews Sign Up
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Global Funding Forecast

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search R&D World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE