The UK wind sail developer and Finnish technology company, Bar Technologies and Groke Technologies, have joined forces to improve safety at sea and port operations for ships using WindWings. The first vessel to be retrofitted with WindWings wind sails, Mitsubishi Corporation’s Kamsarmax bulk carrier, Pyxis Ocean, had the sails installed at the Cosco yard in China. However, due to their size of 37.5m tall, they partially restrict visibility. To address this issue, the Groke Pro situational awareness system from Groke Technologies was also installed and approved by DNV.
The partnership between Bar Technologies and Groke Technologies has led to several successful voyages monitored by Groke. After these successful voyages, the two companies plan to work together on additional autonomous navigation systems that will integrate low carbon propulsion and automation technologies in the maritime industry. The Groke Pro system provides images to bridge personnel from various locations on the vessel using sensor fusion technology to continuously track the ship’s surroundings and combine data from sensors, radar, AIS and cameras for real-time risk analysis and decision support.
John Cooper, CEO of Bar Technologies sees this partnership as a crucial step towards integrating low carbon propulsion and automation technologies in the maritime industry. He emphasizes the importance of innovation and collaboration with industry specialists to overcome operational challenges. Juha Rokka, CEO of Groke Technologies shares this vision stating that Groke is dedicated to leading the way in the evolving shipping industry while supporting higher safety standards and a cleaner future through their technology and expertise.