Project description
New device to prevent boat slamming
EU-funded SAFEWAVE helps to ensure that boats are operated in a safe and efficient operational envelope. The solution uses intelligent proprietary methods to generate real-time speed guidance optimised for safety, impact reduction, comfort, fuel efficiency and reduction of carbon emissions. The system automatically varies its guidance to reflect prevailing conditions, actual speed and vessel motions. The solution helps ensure duty of care, reduce human errors, improve safety and operator behaviour, aid training and personnel development, and reduce costs related to fuel consumption and vessel lifecycle costs. All data is recorded to and presented in a fleet management desktop portal that provides insightful analysis into each trip, vessel and operator and saves a log of all trips.
Objective
Wave slamming impacts in high-speed boats has been recognized as a serious problem in maritime industry producing serious injuries and fatigue to operators and crew, and also mechanical and structural damages in vessels and on-board equipment. Some solutions exist in the market, such as shock absorbing seats, that mitigate the impact to some extent. However, they do not reduce the number of wave slamming accidents, as 96% of times its main cause is human errors.
With 13 years of combined experience in the maritime industry we have developed Safewave, a software-based solution that provides operators real-time information and predictions of potential hazards ahead. Our device uses current and historical information of acceleration forces experienced from mechanical impacts, together with current and past sea-states and weather, engine and navigation data and analyse this information make intelligent data-driven predictions. Safewave does not mitigate the impact, but prevent it.
Safewave has been conceived to be used on high-speed craft, with a vast potential user base of 18 million recreational vessels in Europe and the US alone. We have already been approached by several entities from universities, to insurance companies to maritime recue and guard association and bodies.
After successfully testing our prototype in the sea, next steps to finalize Safewave development are: I) gather data and user feedback through zero-series testing for input and development of analytical and artificial intelligence functionality II) build a supply chain that fits our scalability potential and III) establish agreements with channel companies to distribute our solution through their clients facilitating our international commercialization.
Safewave commercialization is anticipated to generate profits of €3.6 million by 2022, from sales in Iceland, Nordic countries, UK and USA.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
101 REYKJAVIK
Iceland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.