UT-1 Ultra Trencher – World’s Biggest Subsea Robot
Posted March 22nd, 2008 by Alex Ion

This must be the ultimate gadget for those operating underwaters. We’re looking at the UT-1 Ultra Trencher, the biggest subsea robot that is being used to install oil/gas pipes and probably telecommunication cables. Built by Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) for £10 million and with the dimensions of a medium condo (7.8 x 7.8 x 5.6 meters) the robot is able to move with a 2 to 3 knots speed and can trench pipelines with 1 meter in diameter.
“Weighting 50 tonnes and the size of a small house, it is designed to bury largediameter oil and gas pipelines laid on the ocean floor. It does this by ‘flying’ down up to a mile deep below the surface using powerful propellers. It then lands over the pipeline and deploys a pair of ‘jet swords’ either side of the pipe which inject high pressure water to ‘fluidise’ the surface. Burying the pipelines protects them from fishing, shipwrecks and natural currents. This enables oil and gas to be safely transported from the offshore fields to land to provide secure energy supplies.”
For more detailed specs here’s the PDF file.


January 20th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
this robot is the most inguinse water device every where can i get an object such like the one above e-mail me asap
January 20th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
that sucker is HUGE it would go perfect on my websit can i by one so i can puti ti on my table?
January 20th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
who ever invented this is so smart i am working on an invetion myself
January 20th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
heyyyy june how ya doin
January 20th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
This is a lovely idea. Carter,If your reading this, I miss you!
January 20th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
My name is Rosie Gonzalez
January 20th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
yooo thatssss coooooolllll
February 4th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
this is a magifasent object who ever invented it must be a free spirited preson peace out!