Edinburgh-based Zelim has successfully demonstrated its casualty recovery system to the offshore wind industry
The company’s AI-based casualty detection system – SARBox – detects and tracks people in the water in all weather conditions. Once people in the water have been detected, Zelim’s ‘Swift Rescue Conveyor’ recovers casualties onto a vessel.
SARBox was demonstrated for the first time during Project SANCHO, a live international exercise at Orsted’s Race Bank offshore windfarm, to assess the industry’s emergency response capability.
It successfully identified and tracked multiple casualties during the exercise that included the Maritime Coastguard Agency, US Coast Guard, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, police and offshore wind operators.
The Swift Rescue Conveyor also recently completed rough weather trials, during which it worked in wind speeds of 46 mph and 3-m waves, recovering casualties from the water 30 seconds from first point of contact. Offshore vessels using current overboard recovery systems took more than five minutes from first contact.
Zelim chief executive Sam Mayall said, “Although still rare, accidents do occur offshore and during a person overboard incident, the sooner you can get someone out of the water the better.
“The difference between 30 seconds and five minutes could be life or death. Our SARBox is cutting out the search element of search and rescue and the Swift Rescue Conveyor is getting people out of the water more quickly while reducing the risk of injury during the rescue.”
The development of SARBox and Swift has been supported by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP).
In 2019, Zelim joined ORE Catapult’s national Launch Academy, a technology accelerator programme for the offshore wind industry. In 2020, ORE Catapult supported Zelim in the development of an unmanned rescue vessel and in 2021, Zelim worked with ORE Catapult and secured funding from the OWGP to develop SARBox.
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