Tracking and inspection of subsea pipelines and cables using underwater vehicles: A comprehensive review

The significance of underwater cables and pipelines is paramount in today’s world, driven by factors such as the expansion of offshore wind farms, the demand for high-bandwidth network connections across continents, and ongoing offshore petroleum extraction activities. Ensuring the continual operation and maintenance of these underwater structures is essential. This review explores advancements in detecting, tracking and inspecting these structures externally, delving into the available methodologies, their respective advantages and disadvantages, and offering insights for the future development and growth of this specialised engineering field. • Comprehensive review of underwater pipeline & cable tracking. • Covers vision, sonar, electromagnetic /magnetic, and sensor fusion methods. • Provides a unique, structured perspective beyond single-modality reviews. • A practical guide on how sensing methods are applied in real-world tracking scenarios. • Identifies key challenges and future research directions.