Edinburgh startup secures 750k to build robots that clean ships' hulls

"ScrubMarine is developing autonomous hull-cleaning and inspection robots that target biofouling - the build-up of algae, barnacles and slime on ships' hulls. This growth increases drag, driving up fuel consumption and emissions. Devanathan estimates biofouling adds more than $100 billion a year to global shipping costs. "Biofouling is a hidden problem, but it's a massive one," he said. "It increases drag on the vessel, which increases fuel burn. That's a huge cost for operators, and it's also bad for the environment.""

"Traditional hull cleaning often requires ships to be dry-docked or divers to work underwater alongside large vessels, a process that is costly and can be dangerous. "The diving issue isn't just about cost," Devanathan said. "It's also a serious safety concern. Divers do lose their lives in incidents like these, and that's why we're building robots to take people away from that risk.""

"The company's first robot, known as the Turtle, is a lightweight autonomous system that clings to a ship's hull and removes biofouling using cavitation technology. The process uses microscopic water bubbles that implode on the surface to dislodge debris without damaging the vessel's protective coatings. The robot also captures inspection data in the same pass, allowing operators to assess hull condition at the same time as cleaning."

ScrubMarine, founded by 22-year-old Rohith Devanathan, secured more than £750,000 in venture funding led by SFC Capital and PXN Ventures to advance autonomous hull-cleaning robots. The investment will complete a first commercial prototype, expand engineering in Whitehaven, grow Edinburgh operations and enable live customer trials. The robots target biofouling—algae, barnacles and slime—that increases hull drag, fuel consumption and emissions and is estimated to add over $100 billion annually to shipping costs. The Turtle robot uses cavitation technology to remove growth without damaging coatings while simultaneously capturing inspection data, reducing dry-docking and diver risk.

Read at Business Matters