Robots Beneath the Waves: Subsea Robotics in the Energy Industry

The energy industry has become a place for innovating with new technologies, and nowhere is that more relevant than in subsea operations. From inspecting pipelines thousands of meters underwater to mapping the ocean floor for offshore wind farms, robots are becoming indispensable to safe, efficient, and sustainable energy production.

Why Subsea Robots Matter

Operating offshore is expensive and risky. Sending crews and vessels into unpredictable marine environments comes with safety hazards, weather delays, and high costs. Subsea robots—ranging from remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and newer hybrid underwater drones—offer a way to reduce reliance on human divers and surface vessels while still delivering the precision and endurance needed for underwater operations.

These machines are more than tools; they are becoming platforms for data collection, maintenance, and even environmental stewardship. As the industry shifts toward decarbonization, robotics also play a key role in lowering emissions by reducing the number of crewed support vessels at sea.

Real-World Deployments in Energy

The promise of subsea robotics is compelling, and its real impact is best seen in the field. Across the energy industry, companies are deploying robotic systems as core components of their operations. From uncrewed vessels supporting ROVs in the North Sea to fleets of compact survey drones mapping offshore wind sites, these examples show how subsea robotics is reshaping inspections, maintenance, and environmental monitoring in practice.

Shell’s FlatFish and Subsea Robotics

Shell uses many ROVs and AUVs to operate in deep waters where human divers can’t go, but its latest innovation takes subsea inspections a step further. The FlatFish AUV performs autonomous close inspections of underwater pipelines and structures. Its high-resolution 3D imaging and precision optics can spot even small dents or anomalies, eliminating the need for constant operator oversight.

Reach Subsea and Kongsberg’s REACH REMOTE

Norwegian firm Reach Subsea, working with Kongsberg Maritime, has introduced REACH REMOTE 1, a 24-meter uncrewed surface vessel designed to deploy and control ROVs from shore. Equipped with advanced survey sensors, autonomous navigation, and a moonpool launch-and-recovery system, it’s aiming to reduce operational emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional crewed vessels.

EIVA’s Autonomous Inspection Systems

EIVA combines decades of subsea mapping expertise with innovations in sensor integration. Its ScanFish and ViperFish remotely operated towed vehicles integrate sonar, magnetometers, and multi-beam echosounders to provide high-resolution subsea survey data in real time. 

“We saw an opportunity to combine proven vehicle designs with our expertise in autonomous navigation and sensor fusion,” EIVA CEO Christian Thomsen told Inside Unmanned Systems. “The result is a system that can conduct detailed inspections of critical infrastructure with minimal human intervention.”

EIVA’s software overlays new data on historical surveys, flagging anomalies like anchor drags or pipeline damage instantly—a game-changer for operators.

Equinor’s Resident Robots

Energy major Equinor is deploying resident ROVs that remain underwater for months at a time, docking at subsea charging stations and reducing the need for costly surface vessel operations. The company also uses mini-ROVs in shallow waters and splash zones, keeping people out of hazardous environments while improving inspection accuracy.

HydroSurv’s USV Fleet

from Inside unmanned systems

UK-based HydroSurv is democratizing access to uncrewed surface vessel technology with co-ownership and leasing models. Its Rapid Environmental Assessment Vessels (REAV) series USVs are already being used for environmental monitoring, offshore wind surveys, and maritime security. By offering flexible acquisition models, HydroSurv is enabling smaller operators to adopt advanced robotics.

Innovation Beneath the Surface

Beyond vehicles themselves, the subsea robotics ecosystem is rapidly evolving:

• Docking and Charging Stations: Companies like Saipem, Oceaneering, and Equinor are testing interoperable subsea docking stations (SDSs) where robots can recharge and transmit data, similar to gas stations on land. One Saipem Hydrone-R UID logged over 280 dockings during an 8-month residency on Equinor’s Njord field.

• Subsea Communications: Partnerships like Blue Logic and Hydromea are integrating inductive power transfer with optical modems to create high-speed subsea WLANs that enable wireless control of intervention drones without bulky umbilicals.

• Asset Identification: Petrobras and I-DUTTO are testing subsea RFID tags to help robots quickly identify equipment in low-visibility conditions, reducing the risk of costly errors.

Recent Industry Moves

The subsea robotics space is buzzing with activity. The underwater robotics market is expected to reach $13.59 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 14.59%. Here are some recent announcements that highlight the pace of innovation:

Hydromea FPSO Safety Improvement & Cost Reduction

Using EXRAY™ instead of a rope-access team with scaffold towers reduced the cost by nearly 10x: fewer people means lower bed allocation and minimal tank preparation time.  This also significantly reduced the risks associated with working at height in confined and hazardous spaces.

Nauticus Robotics and Advanced Ocean Systems

Nauticus’ Aquanaut AUV will undergo trials at AOS’s Florida test facility, with plans to integrate it into broader fleets of unmanned surface vessels for deepwater tasks.

Bedrock Ocean Exploration

Bedrock launched a “Proof of Technology” program with ten partners, including Equinor, Avangrid, and Ørsted. Its fleet-capable AUVs offer sub-meter bathymetry and high-definition imaging for offshore wind and marine archaeology.

Kraken Robotics

Fresh off raising $115M, Kraken is expanding its portfolio of synthetic aperture sonar, lidar imaging, and pressure-tolerant batteries to support subsea intelligence and uncrewed maritime systems.

The Road Ahead

Subsea robotics is becoming a cornerstone of modern energy operations. With resident ROVs, autonomous survey fleets, and interoperable infrastructure, robots are helping the energy industry become safer, more efficient, and more sustainable.

As Equinor’s Geir Tore Knudsen put it in a webinar, automation is now the preferred option if robotic data is at least as good as traditional methods. That threshold has already been met—and surpassed—in many subsea domains. The next frontier? Fully autonomous, persistent subsea operations that redefine how we explore, inspect, and maintain the oceans that power us.