Robot cleaners go to hull

Newcastle University engineers have developed an automated robotic cleaning system that removes marine growth from the hull of a ship.

Operating in a similar way to the automatic carpet cleaner, the robot has been developed out of an EU-funded project called HISMAR (Hull Identification System for Marine Autonomous Robotics) and is able to navigate its own way across the ship’s hull.

First, a map of the hull is automatically charted, recording the location of every weld, thickness change, rivet and indentation on the ship’s surface.

The robot is then magnetically attached to the ship’s side and sent off on its journey of the hull, following a planned route and cleaning as it goes.

Adjustable jets of pressurised sea water blast the marine growth off the surface of the ship, which is then sucked up into the main chamber.

Here, 150 litres of water a minute is filtered and the bio-fouling removed and rendered harmless to the local environment.