ARV has officially partnered with RotoTech to introduce and further develop the innovative technology ‘Roto Climber’, the world’s first vertical pipe inspection and maintenance robot, to serve the renewables and oil and gas industries across the globe.
AI and Robotics Ventures Company Limited (ARV), a subsidiary of PTTEP, recently began working with RotoTech Private Company Limited, a Singapore-based service provider specializing in robotic inspection maintenance and cleaning. The partnership makes available ‘Roto Climber’, a technologically advanced inspection, maintenance and cleaning robot which is the first of its kind to perform on vertical pipe structures including risers, conductors and caissons offshore as well as jetties and wind power towers. There is growing interest from asset owners and services companies in South East Asia to use Roto Climber.
Dr. Thana Slanvetpan, ARV General Manager, said “This partnership is transforming inspection and maintenance of infrastructures. ARV is also facilitating the development of additional modules that will enable Roto Climber to repair, drill and cut structures where required. ARV and RotoTech are pleased to offer this innovative solution to help industries overcome operational pain points.”
Mr. Simon Hartog, RotoTech Managing Director, said “Roto Climber is remotely controlled and can operate without divers and vessels. The robot will not only increase efficiency, but also improve personnel safety especially in hazardous areas. This innovation offers substantial cost and time savings as well as lowers carbon footprint for customers.”
Roto Climber can operate above water, in the splash zone areas, and down to 200 meters underwater. The robot is lightweight and easily installable. During operation, Roto Climber clamps to the pipe structure and walks down the pipe while performing various tasks simultaneously. These include close visual inspection, wall thickness measurement, corrosion detection and exterior cleaning. Roto Climber is equipped with subsea camera that reports real-time high-quality VDO for monitoring and analysis.
About ARV
AI and Robotics Ventures (ARV), a subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP), provides cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence and Robotics solutions for businesses across industries and is set to become a research and development platform. The application of ARV services and developing technologies range across air, sea and land. The company’s pioneered AI & Robotic solutions include an Inspection-class Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (IAUV) or “Xplorer” for preventive maintenance and inspection of underwater facilities, the world’s first remotely-operated Subsea Flowline Control and Repair Robot (SFCR) or “Nautilus”, and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for inspecting facilities at height, generating and processing aerial images, and a successful development of Swarm Drones Technology. For more information, please visit www.arv.co.th
About RotoTech
RotoTech specializes in the field of Robotic Cleaning, Inspection and Repair. This is used in the inspection repair and maintenance of Fossil Fuel assets and Renewable Industry Wind Turbine Tower, cleaning, inspection and repair services. RotoTech has filed patents for its modules with the clamp passing module being the most recent patent application. This significant development enables the Roto Climber Mk 2 to walk down a riser pipe that is clamped to a structure and to climb over the clamps. RotoTech Pte. Ltd. was started in January 2021 as the research and development and commercialization company for the Roto Climber(R), Roto Crawler(R) and Wind Climber(R).
Source: PTTEP