Pipeline maintenance and inspection vehicle

A vehicle for carrying at least one module along an elongate body to perform an operation on the elongate body, the vehicle comprising:

• an elongate support structure carrying the at least one module, wherein the at least one module includes at least one of a repair module configured to perform a repair operation on the elongate body, a maintenance module configured to perform a maintenance operation on the elongate body and an inspection module configured to perform an inspection operation on the elongate body, and wherein the vehicle is configured to hold the elongate support structure away from the elongate body;
• and
• a translation mechanism connected to the elongate support structure for causing the vehicle to translate along the elongate body, the translation mechanism comprising at least two translation members, each including a gripper and each being configured to be disengagable from the elongate body to pass a protuberance,
• wherein at least one of the grippers is a movable gripper that is movable relative to the support structure in the axial direction of the elongate body, and wherein the vehicle is configured to translate along the elongate body by moving the movable gripper whilst it is engaged with the elongate body, and
• wherein the at least one module is configured to perform an operation on the elongate body whilst carried by the elongate support structure.