Groke to Deliver Situational Awareness Tech for Ships with BARTech WindWings
Finland-headquartered maritime tech company Groke Technologies (Groke) is working with BAR Technolgoes (BARTech) design and develop of situational awareness systems for the U.K. marine engineering consultancy’s WindWings wind propulsion technology.
The companies have signed a partnership agreement following the debut installation of two 37.5 m (123 ft) tall WindWings sails on board MC Shipping-owned and Cargill-operated Kamsarmax bulker Pyxis Ocean. Groke’s camera and imaging solutions were also installed.
Groke Technologies’ CEO Juha Rokka said, “As shipping continues to evolve, Groke is committed to being among the front-runners of the maritime future. With our technology and know-how, we are confident that we can support the shipping industry in embodying higher standards in safety and materializing a cleaner future.”
As the industry embraces the shift to wind assisted propulsion, lines-of-sight may be obstructed, Groke Pro provides imagery to the bridge collated from multiple locations on the vessel, together with an analysis of objects in the vessel’s periphery. Providing improved situational awareness of the vessel surroundings, sensor fusion technology can combine inputs from different sensors on the vessel, including radar, AIS and Groke Pro’s day and night cameras.
John Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, BAR Technologies, said, “As we chart the future of the maritime industry, our partnership with Groke marks a pivotal stride toward the confluence of low carbon propulsion and the latest automation technologies – both of which put global shipping on the path towards a cleaner, more efficient future. As the industry goes on this journey, it’s critical to BAR that we overcome any challenges in operability by either innovating in-house, or partnering with other forward-looking industry specialists with whom we can form close collaboration. We look forward to working closely with Groke in future.”
Powered by machine vision and machine learning, tools like blending and real-time risk analysis provide the vessel crew with the most accurate information to support their decision-making, Groke said
