New entrant offers robotic hull cleaning

Armach Robotics offers an autonomous hull cleaning solution capable of 100% coverage of the hull surface excluding niche areas. The hull cleaning robot is small enough to get into tighter spaces on the hull and is one-man-portable. Its caterpillar tracks are gentle on hull coatings and it uses a non magnetic adhesion to the hull, so it is suitable for military vessels and non steel hulls.

The company says the real game changing aspects of the Armach system are its navigation ability and hull intelligence systems. With accurate navigation, robots can be autonomous, data can be referenced to the hull, and 100% coverage can be assured. Because the company was born out of Greensea Systems, it uses Greensea’s navigation systems to ensure that the robot cleans the hull in the quickest and the most efficient way possible. As the robot cleans, the software operating it builds up an inch perfect ‘mental map’ of every feature of the hull so it can be more efficient next visit and it does so without the human input of divers or operators.

The Armach system is scalable and efficient, so cleanings can be performed more regularly. This means that it’s only ever slime that the robot has to tackle. The use of a thoroughly tested brush system that is non destructive to the hull coating with the built-in system intelligence means it won’t overwork the coatings.

The system also saves costs by reporting back to the shipowner with valuable information, effectively creating a hull condition survey every time it cleans a hull. Any damage or corrosion is picked up early by the robot’s cameras and sensors, so a decision can be made on whether rectification is necessary or whether ongoing monitoring will suffice.

Armach is not a technology company and does not sell robots. Armach provides a subscription service for clean hulls and hull intelligence. Shipowners signed up for the Armach service can be confident that their vessels will always have clean hulls, with all the attendant benefits that brings from slashing fuel consumption by up to 10% to regaining complete control over invasive species.

Armach is currently developing the platform and ensuring that the technology and model work in the real world. The company is also working with first adopter partners towards a wider roll-out of pilot programs in 2022.

Ben Kinnaman, Greensea Systems and Armach Robotics CEO, says: “You can’t offer shipowners 100% hull cleaning coverage using an autonomous, robotic solution unless you have a very accurate navigation solution. We (Greensea) began working with the Office of (US) Naval Research back in 2018 on just a system to make proactive in-water cleaning with a robotic solution a reality for the first time. But we couldn’t find a manufacturer or vehicle partner that would enable us to enter this industry and achieve the level of potential that we saw. So we have spun the Greensea technology out into this new entity, Armach Robotics.”

Rob Howard, VP Growth and Strategy at Armach Robotics, says: “Hull drag is time and money in the shipping business. The system we have devised represents the closest any company has got to fully autonomous hull cleaning. With our navigation solution, the robot’s route across the hull is optimised to within inches ensuring no areas are missed or over cleaned, so we can be efficient and fast in performing our service.”