In April this year, the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee approved guidance on in-water cleaning of ships' biofouling and also approved a proposal for the development of a legally binding framework for
In April this year, the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee approved guidance on in-water cleaning of ships' biofouling and also approved a proposal for the development of a legally binding framework for the management of biofouling.
The move comes in recognition that biofouling is a key contributor invasive species and to greenhouse gas emissions. Biofouling can increase fuel consumption by up to 30%, costing the shipping industry $40-50 billion annually and driving excess emissions.
Robotics companies are gearing up.
This week Hullbot has closed a A$16 million ($10.3 million) Series A round to finance its autonomous underwater robots for cleaning and inspecting hulls. The new capital will help the company scale its manufacturing, establish more international service hubs, and evolve its robotic systems to accommodate larger shipping vessel classes.
In September, Neptune Robotics raised $52 million for its underwater robots which it claims cleans hulls 3-5 times faster than divers. Its systems can clean full draft Capesize vessels in under 24 hours, operating day and night in clear or murky waters and even in 4-knot strong currents.
In October, Yanmar Holdings and Sony Group Corporation established a joint venture to advance underwater sensing technology which will initially be focused on
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