Hull service robot launched

Greensea Systems subsidiary Armach Robotics has introduced its first post-prototype hull service robot (HSR). This 30-kg, 86-cm long unit has been tested in underwater trials in Plymouth, Massachusetts on a ship hull. 

Part of a proactive in-water cleaning solution for clearing hulls of biofouling, it is a smaller, smarter and more efficient unit than the first prototypes Armach created, which used off-the-shelf navigation systems, a custom crawler skid and a separate ROV all bolted together. But these were too large and inefficient. 

“It worked well in the prototypes but was expensive and clunky,” says Armach vice president of engineering James Truman. 

“For the purpose-built Armach HSR, we stripped out a lot of the structural and electrical overhead from the prototypes,” he explains. 

“That gave us a smaller, lighter, and more streamlined vehicle that can operate in faster water currents and on lower friction coatings. We have tested extensively to minimise hull-coating impact and will continue accelerated life testing and design iteration to ensure long-term reliability.” 

This HSR has Greensea’s OpenSea miniaturised navigation sensors and precision-control processing, an electro-mechanical drive, inhouse cleaning components and functionality for monitoring or controlling the robot remotely.