Ports & terminals
Responsive thrust for port calls and terminal moves.
Assess directly controlled electric thrust for berthing, unberthing, locks, short shifts and confined-water manoeuvres.
Berthing · unberthing · locks · terminal shifts
Manoeuvring thrust, deployable when needed.
Portable propulsion for assets that were never built with it.
Towbot is a family of detachable battery-electric thrusters for ship manoeuvring, barge positioning and temporary dynamic positioning—controlled directly, deployed when required, and configured for the operating profile.
Battery-electricZero emissions at the point of operation
DetachableNo permanent conversion
360° thrustApplication configured
Human-supervised autonomyRemote, assisted + autonomous control
TB120 · TB340 · TB1400+Product platform roadmap
Patented technologyGranted technology foundation
India + NetherlandsInternational engineering base
Enquiries openApplications, pilots and partners
Start with your operation
One platform. Multiple applications.
Towbot serves organisations that operate floating infrastructure, provide marine services or deliver temporary projects. Choose the route closest to your operating need.
Towage & ship-assist operators
Add a detachable electric tool to the service fleet.
Supplement conventional assets or substitute selected low-speed tasks where the vessel, environment and approval case support it.
Fleet extension · selected task substitution · remote service
Shipping lines & vessel operators
Bring additional manoeuvring force under direct command.
Evaluate deployable thrust for challenging ports and operations where permanent conversion is unattractive.
Port entry · directly controlled thrust · constrained manoeuvres
Barge, pontoon & inland operators
Move and marshal floating assets without fixed thrusters.
Use detachable units for turning, approach, marshalling, low-speed repositioning and temporary propulsion across compatible assets.
Barge marshalling · terminal approach · position holding
Marine contractors & offshore teams
Mobilise positioning capability with the project.
Configure one or more Towbots for marine construction, dredging, jack-up support and other time-bound positioning scopes.
Construction · dredging · jack-ups · campaign work
Industrial shippers & floating terminals
Support cargo-transfer and transhipment positioning.
Assess reusable directional thrust for floating terminals, transhippers and heavy assets that need recurring or temporary positioning support.
Transhipment · cargo transfer · floating terminals
Shipyards, naval architects and technology partners
Work with Tow-botic Systems on vessel interfaces, propulsion, controls, class pathways and pilot integration.
Discuss integration
Choose the operating job
Marine thrust without permanent installation.
Towbot brings an additional manoeuvring force to the hull itself. The same platform principle scales from inland assets to demanding ship-assist projects.
Ship manoeuvring
Directly controlled, reversible thrust for berthing, unberthing, locks and confined-port operations.
Explore ship assist ↗Barge positioning
Add portable propulsion and positioning capability without a permanent hull conversion or fixed thruster room.
Explore barge applications ↗Portable dynamic positioning
Mobilise modular thrust for marine construction, offshore support, dredging and temporary work scopes.
Explore portable DP ↗The Towbot range
Scale thrust to the mission.
A common architecture supports multiple power classes, control modes and energy strategies. Product scope is configured around the vessel and operating case.
Lead platform
View TB120 ↗
TB120
120 kW class
- Inland barges and pontoons
- Sheltered-water manoeuvring
- Single or multi-unit operation
Configurable platform
View TB340 ↗
TB340
340 kW class
- Work barges and larger assets
- Temporary positioning support
- Project-specific energy sizing
Engineered to order
View TB1400+ ↗
TB1400+
1.4 MW+ class
- High-thrust ship-assist concepts
- Heavy floating assets
- Multi-unit port operations
Operational proposition
From towline-assisted manoeuvring to direct thrust control.
Towbot places the propulsive force at the assisted vessel. The bridge, pilot station or remote operator commands thrust through an integrated interface.
Commercially useful, technically bounded.
Every project begins with an application assessment to define the vessel interface, thrust requirement, energy duty, operating envelope and approval route.
- Fast change between push and pull directions
- No towline connection for the selected operation
- Remote operation with assisted and autonomous functions
- Round-the-clock operations through coordinated charging and unit rotation
- Potential operating-cost reduction of up to 50% in suitable profiles
360°Directional thrust options
24/7Service concepts by fleet design
50%Potential savings in selected profiles
0Towbot crew onboard
How it works
Deploy. Attach. Manoeuvre. Recover.
A modular sequence designed around safe human authority, situational awareness and a defined operating envelope.
Deploy
Launch from shore, a floating terminal or support vessel and establish communications.
Approach
Navigate to the selected hull location using cameras, sensors and assisted control.
Attach
Secure the application-specific hull interface and verify holding condition before thrust.
Control thrust
Command magnitude and direction from the designated control station, with override and emergency stop.
Frequently asked
Straight answers about Towbot.
What is Towbot?
Towbot is a configurable family of detachable battery-electric manoeuvring units. A Towbot is intended to deploy to a compatible vessel or floating asset, attach temporarily below the waterline and provide directly commanded thrust without a towing line or permanent hull conversion.
Can Towbot replace a harbour tug?
Towbot is designed to replace or supplement selected tug-assist tasks where the vessel, manoeuvre, environment and approvals are suitable. It is not presented as a universal replacement for every towage operation.
Can Towbot operate autonomously?
Towbot is designed for supervised remote operation and autonomous-assisted functions such as approach, positioning and control support. A designated human operator retains command authority and can override or stop the system.
Is Towbot commercially available?
Tow-botic Systems is accepting application, pilot and project-development enquiries across the TB product range. Final configuration, delivery scope and operating envelope are established through application engineering, validation and the required approvals.
Start with the operating problem
Could detachable thrust work for your vessel or port?
Share the vessel type, manoeuvre, location and present tug or positioning arrangement. We will scope an initial application assessment and the information needed for a credible business case.
Request an application assessment ↗