Autonomous mariner rescue vessel launched at SMM

During a person-overboard event, Guardian would be instantaneously lowered into the water by a ship’s existing LARS davit installed at deck level. 

Once in the water, Guardian’s navigation and Zoe software detects the casualties. As this rescue vessel nears the person in the water, it lowers the integrated Swift and slowly heads towards the casualty who is then recovered from the water by the rescue conveyor. Swift can pull two survivors to safety simultaneously, minimising the risk for rescuers.

“Sea survival is hugely dependent on the time it takes to retrieve individuals from the water, but inclement weather can prohibit the launch of manned rescue craft and lives are needlessly lost,” said Zelim founder and innovator Sam Mayall.

“Ship crews have little time to carry out an effective rescue before maritime conditions prevent the casualty from assisting in their own rescue," he said.

"When rescue vessels approach, many survivors simply do not have the strength to pull themselves to safety. This is even more difficult when they are unconscious or unresponsive. Guardian has been designed to ensure more people can be rescued in the harshest of weather conditions.”

Zelim has spent four years developing and sea testing Guardian, with input from the UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the US Coast Guard. It has previously presented the technology in Edinburgh in 2022, at the British Tugowners Association’s safety seminar and at Riviera conferences.

Riviera’s Offshore Support Journal Conference, Asia, the premier annual event for the offshore energy and offshore vessels sector in the region, returns to Singapore on 17-18 September 2024. Use this link for more information and to register. 

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