According to Royal IHC, the seabed crawler is an efficient tool for protecting underwater infrastructures performing intervention and inspection work. The concept foundation for this seabed crawler is based on the field proven undercarriage of the Hi-Traq®, a subsea vehicle specifically designed for the installation and burial of offshore cables.
It consists of a four-track system that maximizes tractive effort. Thanks to the Royal IHC patented independently steerable tracks with self-leveling system, along with anti-slip 4 track drive technology, its manoeuvrability and terrain climbing capabilities are unmatched.
To perform interventions near underwater cables or pipelines, the subsea crawler can be outfitted with large assortment of intervention tools ranging from Royal IHC design subsea handling systems through to industry standard tooling such as outfitted with a pair of Schilling Titan 4 Manipulators. Tools would be selected to carry out the following activities:
- seabed object recovery/placement
- remote maintenance
- inspection of explosive devices
- removal of explosives for safe detonation elsewhere
Modular design for flexible operations
The vehicle has also been designed to allow for swap out of the central chassis to enable various means of powering and controlling the vehicle. Typical options would be as follows:
- Surface Fed Amphibious Vehicle – This configuration allows for Hydraulic and electrical power to be sent down an umbilical to the vehicle. The vehicle can then be supported by a barge or similar to carry out shallow water works or onshore operations
- Surface Fed Deep Water/Long Distance Vehicle – This vehicle comes with an onboard HPU and a 4km long umbilical. Vehicle can then be operated from onshore or off-shore with a support vessel
- Battery Powered Vehicle – The vehicle can be outfitted with a battery system to enable wireless remote operation
