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China robotics firm targets ship hull cleaning with autonomous climber
RobotPlusPlus says its system can cover more than 98% of a vessel’s hull and boosts cleaning efficiency fivefold versus manual methods.
China’s robotics industry is expanding in high-altitude work with an autonomous climbing system aimed at ship hull cleaning and descaling, according to SCMP Economy. The company behind the product, RobotPlusPlus, is positioning the robot as a safer alternative to manual labour and says it can help extend a vessel’s service life.
RobotPlusPlus says its flagship system can cover more than 98% of a vessel’s hull. It also claims the robot increases cleaning efficiency fivefold compared with manual methods, while cutting cleaning costs by 30% to 50%.
The company’s use case focuses on large ships that stand more than 21 meters high and can be roughly 250 meters long. SCMP Economy reports RobotPlusPlus says vessels of 100,000 deadweight tonnes and above typically require access at heights comparable to a seven-storey building.
RobotPlusPlus frames the opportunity as working-at-height demand that it says lacks mature products, with SCMP Economy quoting Xu as saying the segment has substantial market demand but is still underserved.