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Robotic solution for clean hulls

Modern Art?  – a serious problem for vessels!

ship hull with coating

Despite biocidal chemical coatings, this fouling slime will develop within days.

photo by: Andreas Fischer

„For example, a layer of slime as thin as 0.5 mm covering up to 50% of a hull surface could trigger an increase of GHG emissions in the range of 25 to 30%, depending on ship characteristics, its speed and other prevailing conditions.“

GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships Project

Our Mission

We believe in biocide-free and net zero emission shipping

Reducing GHG emissions

Less drag, less fuel consumption results in minimal GHG emission, that simple!

Conservation of marine life

Making the use of biocidal coating chemicals obsolete, thus saving marine life

Alternative fuels

Enabling the transition into a new era of transportation with green fuels, only economical with clean hulls

Decent work

Larabicus cleans autonomously, making manual and dangerous cleaning by hand obsolete

Ecosystem balance

Fighting a main contributor to invasive aquatic species introduction. Slime: fouling slime to be precise!

Developing new technologies

We pave the way for future inventions and optimization in the shipping industry 

Our mission is honored by the Young Innovators Award

During the international 15th Symposium HIPER in Bernried, Larabicus hull cleaning technology received the HANSA Young Innovators Award 2023. The award is given once a year to particularly forward-thinking innovators in the field of performance technologies for maritime vehicles. The HANSA International Maritime Journal is an international, technically oriented journal on topics of shipbuilding and marine technology.

 

hansa-award

photo by: Patrick Schmetzer

Great victory for Larabicus

Larabicus was awarded first place by both the jury and the audience in the Hesse Ideas Competition 2023. The competition honors the best ideas from Hessian universities. 

We thank everyone who supported us and who voted for Larabicus.

Cleaning as a Service

You focus on logistics; we keep your hull compliant

No additional downtime

Larabicus serves 24/7, in transit, autonomously 

Stay competitive!

Reduce your fuel consumption up to 15%, maximize fuel efficiency 

Predictive maintenace

Keep your fleet up and running with reduced maintenance time

Always compliant with international regulations

Continous reporting, by Larabicus, guarantees your fleet full access to all destinations

Integrity of hull coating

Guaranteed by Larabicus thanks to patented technology

2035 - Carbon intensity indicator

Get in touch! We show you how to superceed global standards

hansa-award

Inspired by Nature

Larabicus is an innovative robotic cleaner fish designed for autonomous, in-transit ship hull maintenance. Its state-of-the-art SuSa-Drive propulsion system harnesses energy from surrounding water, enabling prolonged operation. Highly maneuverable, it navigates around intricate ship attachments, offering comprehensive cleaning. Larabicus not only reduces fuel consumption but also minimizes the risk of transporting invasive species, making it an eco-friendly solution for the maritime industry.

 

Meet the Team

Dr. Florian Gerland

Dr. Florian Gerland

CEO

Postdoc in fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering

Thomas Schomberg

Thomas Schomberg

CTO

Lead Engineer, writing his doctorate in fluid dynamics

Tatjana Liese

Tatjana Liese

CSO

Master of Science in biological oceanography, focused on Business Development

Funded by

The project Larabicus is funded as part of the exist program by the Federal Ministry for economic affairs and climate action and the European Union via the European Social Fund Plus.

european social fund image

on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag

Press and Newsarticles

A cleaner fish for ship hulls

Ein Putzerfisch für Schiffsrümpfe

 

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

2023/11/24

Cleaning for the climate

Putzen fürs Klima

publik, University of Kassel

2023/10/05

A clean idea for shipping

Eine saubere Idee für die Schifffahrt

Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine

2023/09/12

Larabicus develops cleaning robots for ship hulls

Shipping Telegraph

2023/09/05

Larabicus develops cleaning robots for ship hulls

Larabicus entwickelt Putzroboter für Schiffsrümpfe

University of Kassel

German Language, 2023/09/04

Robotic fish for clean ships

Roboterfische für saubere Schiffe

Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine

2020/11/16

Robot cleaner fishes bring success at UNIKAT ideas competition

University of Kassel

2020/10/22

Lets get in touch!

Got a question or something to share? We truly value your insights and queries. Contact us at info[at]larabicus[dot]com and we will respond promptly.

Larabicus Logo White

Clean – beyond the surface

Impressum