Robotics in the Splash Zone: Redefining Offshore Inspection, Cleaning and Integrity Management
The splash zone has long been recognised as one of the most hazardous and technically challenging areas of offshore structures. Exposed to continuous wave action, strong tidal forces, vessel movements, and accelerated corrosion, this narrow interface between air and seawater presents significant risks for both divers and conventional inspection methods.
One company actively addressing these challenges through robotics is Rototech Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based engineering specialist focused on inspection, cleaning, and repair operations within the offshore splash zone. Founded by subsea industry veteran Simon Hartog, the company has developed a modular, lightweight robotic platform designed to operate reliably in one of the most complex environments for offshore asset maintenance.
Rototech was founded as a company to supply Robotic services to the Splash Zone area of offshore structures, such as platforms, jetties, wind turbines etc.
The Splash Zone is the most dangerous area for divers and ROV’s to operate in due to high waves, strong tides the presence of support vessels and their propellors as well as Flotsam and Jetsam. It is also the area where most damage occurs to a structure, as well as the area that is most at risk of severe corrosion. In order to provide a robotic solution for this problem, Rototech was formed.
- Rototech Pte Ltd was founded by Simon Hartog who is now the CEO. Simon has over 50 years’ experience in subsea services as a diver and a Manager. He was area Manager Middle East for Fraser Diving and Operations and Equipment manager for Taylor Diving SEA. Simon held the record for the deepest dive performed in Asia from 1981 until 2013.
- In 2017, Simon and his development team set out to design and build a patented modular, light weight, subsea robotic system to perform PAUT inspection, cleaning, non-destructive testing, cutting & drilling repairs, and coating functions for subsea structures and wind towers.
In 2019 and 2020, the Mk 1 and Mk 2 Roto Climber ® with Cleaning, CVI and Olympus PA/UT inspection modules were commissioned . In 2021 ARV Thailand a PTTEP Group Company entered into a joint development agreement with Rototech –
- In April 2021 Rototech and Olympus Singapore signed an MOU for collaboration, in advanced inspection for the Non-Destructive testing of pipelines and piles from surface to subsea and through the splash zone.
- This was followed by testing of the Olympus PAUT system underwater. This was a milestone as it meant that complete mapping of a riser, conductor or pile could be done with +/- 1mm accuracy. Not only above water but through the splashzone and subsea.
In 2024 Rototech performed an inspection of 3 risers for Brunei Shell using a machine called the Roto Climber® Mk 1 Mini.
The Roto Climber® Mk 1 Mini was designed to clean and map the corrosion on the riser using a Pulsed Eddy Current technique. This was because the riser was covered in an Anti-Corrosion coating of Neoprene that should not be removed whist conducting the NDT mapping. The Roto Climber was able to walk down the riser and clean and map the corrosion with a +/- 1% accuracy.
New developments in the Roto Climber family is the ability of the Roto Climber to walk over clamps or Guides.
The Roto Climber is now divided into two families:
- The Roto Climber® Assessor which is a lightweight tool for cleaning and mapping corrosion, using different inspection tools such as PEC, PAUT, TOFD, X-Ray and other inspection techniques as well as taking CP readings if required.
- The Roto Climber® Constructor which consists of 2 wheel drive modules with in-between the two drive modules, a module to perform specialised services. These could include cutting services, wrapping services, X-Ray inspection, Bolting services, Laser scanning services, drilling services and potentially welding services.
In 2024 the CWL Group invested in Rototech giving Rototech a greater exposure to the world as well as additional engineering and manufacturing ability and access to the Sonomatic fleet of inspection technology.
This has led to the development of the new series of Roto Climber Assessor
Other tools in the Rototech Group are the Roto Pile Inspector® a tool developed to clean and inspect marine piles and then if required to wrap them in an anti-corrosion tape.
The Roto Crawler® for repairing Pipelines and coming soon the Wind Climber ® for climbing wind towers and inspecting and painting them.
By combining robotic mobility with advanced non-destructive testing and cleaning technologies, Rototech’s systems are engineered to perform critical integrity management tasks that traditionally required diver intervention. This approach not only improves inspection consistency and data accuracy, but also significantly reduces safety risks associated with human operations in high-energy splash zone conditions.
As offshore operators continue to prioritise safety, efficiency, and long-term asset integrity, robotic solutions in the splash zone are increasingly positioned not as an alternative, but as an essential component of modern offshore maintenance strategies.
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About Rototech Pte Ltd.
Rototech Pte Ltd is a Singapore based Robotics Company specializing in the “splash zone area” of the marine environment. Our tools are ATEX Zone 2, lightweight, robust, modular tools able to clean, inspect and repair a variety of pipes, piles, caissons, risers, cables, chains and deepwater flexible risers. They can also inspect electric cables from renewable Energy floating wind towers. Because the tools are modular, many different tasks can be performed without making major changes. They can also be operated from an ROV should this be required.
Learn More About Rototech: www.rototech.sg