HBC Group, a leading provider of offshore inspection services, has recently purchased Saab’s Seaeye Cougar-XTi, a state-of-the-art remotely operated vehicle (ROV) known for its advanced capabilities.

Depro AS, a leading provider of subsea tooling for the offshore industry, is increasing its long-term collaboration with VideoRay LLC, a leading supplier of portable underwater robots. This agreement underscores the commitment of Depro AS and VideoRay LLC to delivering cutting-edge solutions to the oil & gas and other energy industries on a global scale.

Delegates at this week’s ITF Technology Showcase will be given an insight into how a novel snake-arm robot could take offshore inspection to a new level ahead of its first trial with Chevron. Technology developer, OC Robotics has proven the capability of the P100 snake-arm robotic inspection system onshore and is now exploring the feasibility of robotic inspection of offshore oil and gas pressure vessels. Snake-arm robots are driven by wire ropes and controlled by OC Robotics’ proprietary software. Snake-arm robots are especially suited to working in confined and hazardous spaces as they can navigate and traverse cluttered environments. Only the arm itself is deployed into the workspace as the main drive motors, electronics and control systems are located away from the inspection area. The project is being funded by Innovate UK’s ‘Energy Game Changer’ programme. OC Robotics & Chevron are exhibiting on Innovate UK’s stand along with a number of companies that secured funding through the competition last year. Innovate is the UK’s innovation agency which aims to drive science and technology innovations that will grow the UK economy - delivering productivity, new jobs and exports.