Since the introduction of the powerful ‘Roving Bat’ hybrid free-flying ROV and crawler last year, CSIP, a UK based company specialising in the design, development and manufacturing of remote controlled robotic systems for hostile environments, has confirmed that it has proved to be one of the most popular vehicles in its fleet.

The Roving Bat is ideally suited to survey the hulls of ships, underwater structures and hydraulic dams for any signs of damage. It can also be used for the search and disposal of limpet mines and other explosive and suspect devices attached on ships hulls, harbour walls or piers.

The first company to purchase the Roving Bat was Brazilian oil and gas giant, Petrobras, to discover whether there may be corrosion or lesions on the hull of an FPSO. The Roving Bat has since been upgraded and the new high performance vehicle has recently been released.

Managing Director of CSIP, Simon Gilligan said: “Since its launch the Roving Bat has been one of the most popular additions to our fleet, with enquiries reflecting this.

“A key feature that has made the Roving Bat so successful is that it has 6 built-in thrusters, 2 longitudinal and 4 vertical, making it very powerful and capable of withstanding heavy currents for stable and reliable inspection.

“The ROV’s body has been designed to minimise drag, reaching its target in free-flying mode and sticks to any vertical or inclined surface. It can then move along this surface in crawling mode for close inspection and can achieve coverage of up to 20 metres per minute. With a thrust of 80 kg when travelling in a vertical direction and 48 kg in a horizontal position it allows the vehicles to operate in extreme conditions.

“Having recently exhibited at Underwater Intervention in America and Oceanology International in the UK, the Roving Bat brought in the most enquiries and was deemed the star of the show for us. I foresee a long future for the vehicle and with CSIP’s ability to design and manufacture machines that are specific to the needs of its clients, the Roving Bat will continue to prove popular as it meets customers’ requirements.”

During a survey the system records video from the colour zoom camera and lowlights in black and white. An ultrasonic array can also be fitted to measure hull thickness and corrosion. Future development will include a hull cleaning system to be fitted to the system.

Tags: CSIP