About

Parrotfish is a new antifouling system concept utilizing a small USV (Unmanned Surface Vessel) with a contactless cleaning module under the surface. Parrotfish is being developed by the Norwegian company INRS AS in cooperation with technology suppliers specializing in contactless cleaning, drone technology and mobile communication. 

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The main purpose of the Parrotfish is to make preventive cleaning of leisure boat hulls convenient, cost efficient and more eco-friendly. Enabling the use of low friction hard coatings (or no coating at all) and still keep the biofouling away. We design, source and build the Parrotfish based on what we consider to be the best available components and materials in the market for this purpose.

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Meeting the tough requirements of the job it’s designed to do also make the Parrotfish USV a great alternative as a mobile power and communication hub on the surface for small ROVs and for carrying other type of payloads such as cameras, sensors, sampling equipment and sonars. It’s especially suited to operate in marinas, harbors, archipelago and fjord environments with network coverage from based cellular antennas. Check out the features of our current version, the Parrotfish V. More details on the spec and videos from the field test will be posted. Stay tuned!

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What is unique about the Parrotfish concept?

 

The "preventive cleaning with robots" approach is not unique in itself. However, robots for hull cleaning are typically designed for large ships, operated through a cable with crew on the surface at the cleaning site. Handling large surfaces well, struggling with the tricky parts.

 

When it comes to leisure boats of typical size, everything is a tricky part for a robot. Including the surroundings with narrow spaces, fenders and ropes in the water, boats spread over large areas, availability of power etc. The Parrotfish is customized to serve leisure boats, loving the tricky parts. It’s designed as a small, but powerful surface vessel with the ambition to serve entire marinas and bay areas with many boats.

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The Parrotfish concept is inspired by the fish with the same name. Parrotfish play a crucial role in maintaining the health of coral reefs by feeding on algae that can smother the corals. Their constant grazing prevents overgrowth, allowing corals to thrive and providing a cleaner, more vibrant underwater ecosystem.