What does AnchorGuardian do?
AnchorGuardian provides safety for sailor, ship and sea. It minimises the risk of anchor dragging, provides immediate fail-safe alarms and predicts anchor hold.
What does the AnchorGuardian solution consist of?
The complete go-to-market AnchorGuardian solution is based on four principal modules:
- Anchor module: The heart of our innovation is driven by our proprietary algorithm and sensor fusion technology independent of any GPS signal
- Boat module: A sophisticated transducer integrated into the ship’s hull exchanges underwater datasets to the user interface and transports user requests back to the anchor module
- Charging module: An autonomous charging unit with a charging time of 2-3 hours for a superyacht
- User interface module (provided as an option): A standalone display providing the user with all AnchorGuardian information on our graphical interface. Alternatively, the information is made accessible to the GPS plotter or ECDIS through a NMEA interface
How does AnchorGuardian protect the environment?
A dragging anchor creates environmental havoc through collisions/grounded vessels or damages to subsea pipelines leading to oil spills and contamination. It rips up the seabed in minutes and destroys the delicate ecosystem which took years to grow.
Swiss Ocean Tech contributes with a solution which preserves and protects the ocean and the seagrass and the animals living in it.
What is the difference between AnchorGuardian and conventional anchor alarms on the market today?
AnchorGuardian is creating a new market. Our disruptive, patented technology offers safety during anchoring by identifying in real-time dangerous anchor dragging, independent of GPS and any movement of the ship. As the AnchorGuardian system monitors directly the anchor itself, there are no late or false alarms due to the ships movement. For the first time ever, using sensor fusion and sophisticated algorithms, our technology can build a stable dataset of the anchor’s relative and absolute position providing reliable information over the entire anchoring procedure.
Does AnchorGuardian use GPS?
Our disruptive, patented technology offers safety during anchoring by identifying in real-time dangerous anchor drag, independent of GPS and any movement of the ship.
What guarantees do you provide once AnchorGuardian is installed?
The anchoring process – from laying to lifting the anchor – is critical for the safety of crew and passengers as well as sealife below. It is a dangerous operation that requires specific skills and continuous attention. AnchorGuardian provides critical, intelligent and reliable information over the entire anchoring procedure. The final decision of what is done with that information, will always lie with the Captain and the crew.
How does the anchor module (sitting between the anchor and the chain) communicate with the boat module (integrated into the ship’s hull)?
Both modules have sophisticated transducers integrated into their housing which communicate underwater via ultrasound with each other.
How does the crew receive data from AnchorGuardian?
The crew can choose to have the information displayed on either:
- A stand-alone display providing the user with all AnchorGuardian information on our graphical interface
- Information can be made accessible on the GPS plotter or ECDIS via a NMEA2000 interface
- Or, the information can be displayed on a smart phone or tablet
How rugged is the AnchorGuardian system?
The anchor module sitting neatly between the anchor and the chain must be able to resist all forces it encounters under water. The strong stainless-steel exterior protects the unit from excessive force and corrosion in even the most demanding environments.
AnchorGuardian passes through a rigorous certification process where it must comply with all relevant classification requirements and resist at least the same forces as the anchor and the anchor chain.
Is AnchorGuardian certified by class societies?
The anchor module is part of the anchor arrangement and is certified just as the anchor and anchor chain. It passes through a rigorous certification process where it must comply with all relevant classification requirements.
Is class involved during the installation of AnchorGuardian?
As our anchor module is inserted between the anchor and the chain, a class society surveyor must be present during installation, but only on yachts in class. It is a simple procedure which takes approximately 30 minutes and depending on the type of anchor arrangement, can be done on deck or with the help of a floating structure nearby.
Does AnchorGuardian also provide predictions on sea and weather conditions?
AnchorGuardian focuses solely on the anchor and its movements. It predicts the anchor hold with early warnings and provides essential information while laying the anchor, while at anchor and when lifting the anchor.
Does the salt content of the sea have a detriment effect on the system?
The strong stainless-steel exterior protects the unit from excessive force and corrosion in even the most demanding environments.
What is the maximum depth possible when working with AnchorGuardian?
Currently AnchorGuardian can function in depths of 100m. Later models planned for the merchant ship market will manage depths of 150m.
When will AnchorGuardian be coming to market?
AnchorGuardian will be coming to market in 2023. Depending on the kind of vessel you own, which dictates the size of AnchorGuardian you will require, now is the time to get in contact with us for pre-orders as numbers will be limited at the beginning. Please send an email indicating your interest to info@swissoceantech.com and we will get back to you immediately.
Can AnchorGuardian be installed on any kind of ship?
AnchorGuardian can be installed on refits, new builds and existing boats.
Basically, any boat that requires an anchor can have AnchorGuardian installed: super and luxury yachts, merchant ships, leisure boats and fishing vessels.
How can we stay up-to-date on the development of AnchorGuardian?
The best thing to do is to sign up to our eNewsletters “Let’s Talk Safe Anchoring”. You will be the first to know about our progress, news and where and when to order.
I would like to participate in a pilot study with AnchorGuardian, what do I need to do?
Great! We would love to hear from you. Please send us an email at info@swissoceantech.com with details on the size of your vessel, the type of vessel and when you are available for testing. We’ll get back to you ASAP.
