Manufacturing Minute: An Undersea Snake Robot

In this episode, a slithering underwater robot that could help maintain offshore oil and gas rigs. This is your Manufacturing Minute. Offshore drilling is a crucial component of energy production, particularly in Europe, which derives a sizeable chuck of its energy from the North Atlantic. Maintaining offshore rigs, however, is a cumbersome and expensive process. But Norwegian engineers could have a solution. Maritime tech company Kongsberg, energy giant Statoil and a spin-off company from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology this week announced an agreement to bolster development of a new swimming robot. The robot -- called the Eelume -- essentially looks like a long metallic snake with lights at the head. It "swims" using a slithering motion or with the help of attached thrusters. It's a bit of an unsettling image -- particularly for those already averse to actual snakes -- but engineers believe that the Eelume could more easily perform inspections, tweak valves and clean equipment. Those tasks, officials said, account for a large percentage of undersea equipment maintenance -- and should result in significant cost savings. What do you think? Could other undersea equipment or technology benefit from a swimming snake robot? Could similar robots help manufacturers reach into tight spaces on shore? Email us or leave your comments below. That’s all the time we have today, but tune in every weekday for your next Manufacturing Minute.