Norwegian ROV operator and subsea services company IKM Subsea has selected the Nauticus Robotics Olympic Arm, a fully electric work-class manipulator, for its subsea resident remotely operated vehicle (ROV) system.
The Olympic Arm increases subsea reliability and capability while extending residency dive time. It also boasts the strength, weight, and size characteristics of traditional work-class hydraulic arms without the chronic maintenance needs, Nauticus Robotics said earlier this week.
"The shift from hydraulic to intelligent electric manipulators is an obvious and necessary next step in subsea operations technology,” said Adam Parsons, Olympic Arm product manager at Nauticus Robotics. “This change will provide operators greater confidence in more challenging and complex operations.”
Nauticus and IKM Subsea also plan to implement the Nauticus Software Suite, which can control the Olympic Arm and open the door to more advanced and intelligent ROV automation.
“The Olympic Arm from Nauticus Robotics is completing IKM Subsea’s all-electric platform,” said Øystein Stjern, executive vice president at IKM Gruppen. “It will aid us in reducing our environmental footprint while enabling the control of ROVs from shore with a reduced number of technicians offshore. Both will help increase our value proposition for our clients.”
Equinor, an IKM Subsea client, is eager to see how this partnership plays out as it assesses potential future opportunities to utilize Nauticus' technological offerings.
“We are looking forward to seeing the results of the implementation of the Arm on an existing ROV platform,” said Arne Rettedal, Equinor’s leading advisor of Subsea Intervention Systems. “Equinor is focusing on technology that can contribute to reduced costs. The Olympic Arm from Nauticus and the RROV from IKM Subsea are both great examples for this. The combination of the two, and the things this might lead to in the future, are obviously exciting to be a part of.”