Karl Lander, Director, Regulatory Compliance and Outreach at Armach Robotics, Inc. has today presented at the 2^nd GloFouling Partnerships R&D Forum and Exhibition on Biofouling Prevention held at the International Maritime Organization Headquarters in London, UK. This morning’s session looked at Innovate anti-fouling coating systems, biofouling management technologies and methods in shipping, recreational boating, aquaculture, oil & gas, and ocean renewable energy structures.

Representing Armach Robotics, Inc. (Armach), Lander’s presentation highlighted the concept and benefits of proactive in-water hull cleaning with the use of autonomous robots. Armach’s hull service robots are built on marine robotics specialist Greensea System, Inc.’s open architecture software platform, OPENSEA, are man-portable, and are optimized for large ships without magnetic robot adhesion to the ship’s hull.

Early-stage biofouling, micro fouling, as well as late-stage biofouling, macrofouling, are a continued and well-documented problem for the shipping industry, not least for its contribution to operational inefficiencies and increased carbon emissions. Shipping is responsible for at least 2.5% of the world’s total CO2 emissions, and the International Maritime Organization has set a target to reduce emissions by 50% by 2050. Ship owners and operators are now increasingly looking at solutions to support their need to reduce carbon emissions, some of which will come with the added benefit of improving operational efficiencies and reducing costs.

The Armach hull service robot requires no active pilot, achieving near 100% coverage, and therefore provides vessel owners and operators a flexible and scalable solution to keep their fleet at optimal condition, benefiting from fuel savings, operational efficiency, whilst contributing to decarbonization efforts and targets.

Many proposed solutions to biofouling will inevitably be delivered by advancements in technology, and Armach offers precisely this. Harnessing the power of intelligence and autonomy, the in-water hull service robots control biofouling and deliver unprecedented hull awareness.

Since its launch in 2021, Armach has become a solution to watch. The company has been addressing the challenges of biofouling at leading industry events, including the 3^rd European Decarbonizing Shipping event in Germany earlier in the year and the American Group’s Greentech and Decarbonizing Shipping Forum this week. Armach has also recently announced its collaboration with Bellona, an international environmental organisation based in Norway, to help raise awareness of the impact proactive hull cleaning has on reducing the environmental footprint caused by international shipping, and to support the industry setting common standards.