Marine vessels experience progressive hull fouling, which increases hydrodynamic drag, fuel consumption, and maintenance downtime. Traditional cleaning requires dry‑dock periods or crew‑operated divers, leading to costly schedule disruptions. Operators lack a continuous, low‑maintenance solution to keep hull surfaces clean while the ship is underway.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Marine vessels experience progressive hull fouling, which increases hydrodynamic drag, fuel consumption, and maintenance downtime. Traditional cleaning requires dry‑dock periods or crew‑operated divers, leading to costly schedule disruptions. Operators lack a continuous, low‑maintenance solution to keep hull surfaces clean while the ship is underway.
Solution
RobotFabrikken’s Shark Sucker is a permanently mounted, autonomous hull‑cleaning robot that operates continuously during transit. The system integrates a brush‑type cleaning head, ultrasonic anti‑fouling emitters, and a suite of hull‑mounted sensors to detect bio‑growth and adjust cleaning intensity in real time. Its on‑board power management draws from the vessel’s electrical bus, eliminating the need for external tethers or dedicated docking stations. Advanced control algorithms coordinate cleaning cycles to maintain a uniform fouling‑free surface without crew intervention. Data on cleaning performance and hull condition are logged locally and can be transmitted to the ship’s monitoring platform via standard NMEA‑0183 or MQTT interfaces. The robot’s modular design allows retro‑fit installation on existing hulls without structural modifications.
Target Audience
Primary customers are commercial shipping operators, offshore supply vessels, and naval fleets that seek to reduce fuel costs and maintenance windows by maintaining a clean hull continuously.
Features
- Self‑contained cleaning module with motor‑driven brush array and high‑frequency ultrasonic transducers for bio‑film disruption
- Real‑time fouling detection using optical and acoustic sensors, feeding adaptive control loops to optimize cleaning cycles
- Integrated power converter that taps the vessel’s 440 V AC bus, providing continuous operation without external power sources
- Redundant fail‑safe firmware and watchdog timers to ensure autonomous operation under maritime environmental conditions
- Standardized communication interfaces (NMEA‑0183, MQTT, and optional CAN‑bus) for seamless integration with ship‑wide monitoring and maintenance systems
- Modular mounting brackets that bolt directly to the hull, requiring no hull plating alterations or dry‑dock procedures for installation
- Remote diagnostics and firmware update capability via secure VPN or satellite link, reducing on‑site service visits