Lomar partners with Alicia Bots for autonomous hull cleaning tech

Lomar has teamed up with US robotics startup Alicia Bots to deploy autonomous hull cleaning technology on up to fifteen of its vessels.

The UK-based shipping subsidiary of Libra Group said the move both integrates cutting-edge robotic hull inspection and grooming solutions into its biofouling control practices as well as tests new use cases, “marking a significant leap forward in the maritime industry’s pursuit of efficiency and environmental responsibility”.

Combining precision robotics and AI-powered analytics, magnetic crawler robots developed by Alicia Bots operate autonomously or remotely via a tether cable, carrying out inspections and maintenance tasks on a ship that can result in reduced fuel consumption.

In addition to hull grooming, the units are slated for use in cargo hold washing and cleaning, fire fighting, sludge removal from tanks, corrosion detection, propeller polishing, reparation assistance, data collection, underwater inspections, tank cleaning, and thickness measurements.

Lomar’s corporate venture lab, lomarlabs, will be involved in the collaboration, providing insight into the development of robotics to support maritime operations, particularly in the progress toward establishing the potential for autonomous marine drones.

The shipowner said the technology has the potential to reduce the need to send humans into dangerous environments to carry out essential maintenance work, such as underwater diving operations for routine cleaning.

Lomar is also making its ships available to Alicia Bots to test new use cases with a project that has received grant aid from the Singapore MPA to trial underwater inspections and cleaning in Singapore.