Since its establishment in 2015, Eelume has been developing a new type of underwater vehicle in close collaboration with Statoil and Kongsberg Maritime. The vehicle, which emerged from more than 10 years of research on snake robotics at NTNU and SINTEF in Trondheim, has a long and flexible body made up of joints and thrusters. The vehicle concept combines capabilities of small ROVs (access at restricted locations due to a slender and flexible body), torpedo-shaped AUVs (transit over long distances with straight body shape), and work-class ROVs (vehicle body is in itself a robotic arm).

This paper gives an overview of recent development and testing of Eelume vehicles during 2017. The development has targeted three essential vehicle capabilities: 1) 500 m depth rating, 2) operation of a class 4 torque tool, and 3) subsea residence. These vehicle capabilities were demonstrated in Trondheimsfjorden in November 2017.

The paper also presents developments of the vehicle planned for 2018, which involve a subsea pilot at Åsgard towards the end of the year. The pilot installation will consist of a subsea garage containing a tethered Eelume vehicle. The duration of the pilot will be about 1 month, during which the inspection and valve operation capability of the vehicle will be qualified.

The plans for 2018 also involve steps towards a completely wireless vehicle in 2019. Onboard battery power, an inductive charging interface, and a wireless communication link are essential components in this development.