BAR Technolgoes (BARTech) and Groke Technologies (Groke) have signed a partnership agreement on the design and development of situational awareness systems for the UK marine engineering consultancy’s WindWings^® wind propulsion technology.

The collaboration follows the success of both BARTech and Groke’s involvement with the MCShipping-owned and Cargill-operated Kamsarmax bulker Pyxis Ocean, which was retrofitted last year with two 37.5 m (123 ft) tall WindWings sails, the technology’s debut installation, and Groke’s camera and imaging solutions.

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."

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 a superb 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. 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 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.”‍

About Groke Technologies  

Groke Technologies is a Finland headquartered maritime tech company with a vision to make seafaring safer one vessel at a time. Groke provides the maritime industry with situational awareness systems powered by machine learning, machine vision, and sensor fusion technology. Since the launch of Groke Pro in 2022, Groke’s technology has accompanied vessels and their crews in voyages around the globe, taking the safety of sailing and crew wellbeing to new levels. Groke remains committed to making sailing safer and helping our customers to move to the forefront of maritime digitalization.

About BAR Technologies

With an impressive heritage, having originally spun out fromthe former British, America’s Cup Team, BAR Tech provide a wide range of designand engineering consultancy services with a focus on 4 key sectors: Workboatsand Commercial Vessels, Shipping, Special Projects and Leisure Marine andYachts. BAR Technologies offer a cohesive team of world lead navalarchitects and optimisation specialists; fluid dynamists; mechanical,structural and composite engineers; control strategy and system specialists;they offer data and simulation engineers with access to the latest commercialknowledge, using bespoke in-house design tools.

For more details please visit: https://www.bartechnologies.uk/

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