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MAROFF-2-Maritim virksomhet og offsh-2

HullSkater OBstacle avoidance System.

Alternative title: HullSkater OBstacle avoidance System.

Awarded: NOK 10.2 mill.

Norway has a strong and important industrial history as a supplier of goods and services to a global maritime market. Norwegian knowledge-based enterprises have historically had a significant competitiveness and growth potential towards advanced and innovative products. An example of products are underwater acoustic sensors and underwater robotics for navigation and mapping of the seabed, where we, Kongsberg Maritime Sensors & Robotics (from now; KMS) and the Horten community have made a position with our product as a world leader in the high-end markets. To secure the long-term competitiveness to Norwegian suppliers of knowledge-based and high-tech products it is crucial to optimize operations with smart autonomous systems for autonomous underwater and water surface vehicles. The background for this project is that we (KMS) are a key partner in the development of an underwater robot operating on a ship hull. The robots will operate both over and below the water surface, but mainly below the water surface. Initially, the robot will be operated manually by a pilot, but on long term the robot will operate autonomously. As a part of the development, we want to develop sensors for detection of obstacles that can obstruct the operation and reduce efficiency.

The objective of the HOBS (HullSkater OBstacle avoidance System) project is to develop the first level of autonomy for the HullSkater, focusing on obstacle detection, recognition and avoidance under challenging underwater visibility conditions. The Hull Skating Solutions (HSS) is disruptive technology and a joint development effort by Jotun and Kongsberg Maritime. The purpose of the HSS is to do proactive cleaning of ship hulls, and through this prevent marine growth and keep the hull friction at a minimum. The HSS consists of an underwater cleaning robot developed by Jotun and Kongsberg Maritime, and an innovative hull coating, SeaQuantum Skate developed by Jotun. The HSS is a disruptive technology that in particular contributes to reaching the UN sustainability goals 13 and 14 (Climate action, CO2, Life below water), and has an immediate impact once installed, meaning that the technology also contributes to reaching the 2030 goals. The solution targets CO2 emissions from large vessel, such as container vessels, RoRo, bulk, tank and cruise ships. The reduction in CO2 emissions will be in average around 15 % for the market segment we will set focus on. The Hull Skating Solutions will help the Norwegian maritime cluster to strengthen the Norwegian global leading position in the maritime industry. It will also lead the environmental transformation of the maritime industry to a more sustainable industry. Business objectives: - Kongsberg Maritime and Jotun will take the market leader role in autonomous underwater robotic for hull cleaning - CO2 emissions reductions will be ~40 million tons per year for the target market

Funding scheme:

MAROFF-2-Maritim virksomhet og offsh-2