Commercialization deal signed for first-ever wireless underwater ROV

Swiss underwater robotics company Hydromea and Scotland’s remote technology specialist Air Control Entech (ACE) have entered into a service partnership agreement to commercialize what is said to be the world’s first wireless remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) for inspections at offshore floating platforms.

Under the deal, ACE will promote and use Hydromea’s EXRAY wireless ROV for inspections of ballast water tanks at floating production storage and offloading (FPSOs) platforms in the North Sea and Latin American markets.

Hydromea said it will benefit from ACE’s certified offshore inspection team, as well as existing and new service contracts.

“We have chosen to work with ACE in the offshore market segment because we feel the team has the right level of ambition and market intelligence,” said Alexander Bahr, co-founder and COO of Hydromea.

“We look forward to working together with ACE on delivering more cost effective, efficient and safer asset integrity inspections, by replacing or reducing the amount of time personnel are placed within hazardous environments to carry out critical inspections with cutting-edge robotics.”

According to Hydromea, the patent-pending EXRAY enables the inspections of complex and dangerous flooded spaces more affordable and faster for asset operators by eliminating a tether between a pilot and an inspection vehicle.

This brings a significant improvement in the dexterity of the vehicle and eliminates the risk of entanglement during an inspection mission of a complex submerged infrastructure, the company added.

EXRAY was developed with the support of Net Zero Technology Centre in Scotland and TotalEnergies UK.

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