New Tech Maritime Product Proves Profitable Fuel and Emissions Reduction
Revitalizing the Maritime Economy with Energy Efficient Technology

Boston , MA  (May 7, 2012)-  AutoMATE Marine Systems, a high tech start-up¹ developed DIGIPILOT, in response to Branson and Boyd’s Carbon War Room plea for entrepreneurial,  innovative technology solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of the shipping industry. DigiPILOT is an inertial autopilot add-on derived from pioneering spacecraft guidance technology ².  This fuel saving technique,  saves 1 to 3% on each voyage, improving profits, and is significant for reducing carbon emissions for 70,000 existing vessels. The new product will reduce Maritime shipping annual global greenhouse (CO2) gas emissions and complies with the new International Maritime Associations Energy Efficiency Mandate.

The sophisticated, “smart autopilot add-on” is simple, easy and inexpensive to install compared to other radically new construction concepts that, although they can theoretically save 30%, they are often impractical or very expensive to implement for existing vessels. Ironically, the 1 to 3% fuel savings can amount to 6 to 12% added profit for the ship-owners indefinitely, since they realize 90% of the savings. The multi-year software support contract allows an incentive for the developers to improve the technology.  If this business model appears to be a contradiction, it isn’t, DIGIPILOT not only is compliant with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) mandate to be GREEN, it should be implemented with urgency to revitalize the shipping economy.

IMO guidelines for mandatory energy saving on all ships were adopted in March 2012:
IMO adopts important guidelines to support implementation of mandatory energy efficiency measures for international shipping

The mandate’s GUIDANCE timid statement:”Retrofitting of a more efficient autopilot to existing ships “could be considered”. Reflects the fact that for decades the shipping industry has long doubted that improved rudder control can save fuel, or that is practical and cost effective.  The Canadian Space Agency debunked this idea through funded experimental prototype with 900 hours of testing, scientifically proving that compared to the ship’s existing autopilot with retrofit³ rudder movements were reduced up to 70% and showed fuel savings of 2 to 3% and reduction in voyage time of 2%- proved by a quantitative fuel use comparison of a computer controlled rudder for inland water precise track keeping to that of the existing gyropilot by measuring both fuel flow rates in the same sea state and engine RPM over a 100 nm track.

In addition, it has been stated that a massive computer, the size of small condo, would be required to implement the concept.  In comparison, DIGIPILOT is an incredibly easy to install, cost effective solution that was developed using a minicomputer and is implemented on an Apple Mac-Mini and iPAD.

AutoMATE Marine Systems, LLC, incorporated to resume production of its industry leading fully automatic DIGIPILOT rudder controller and DIGIPLOT collision avoidance and anti-grounding aid.  AutoMATE™ products leverage 13 years and $6 million of pioneering development cost from the founders’ previous company on $41M sales of bridge automation systems on 550 ships that experienced 60 million hours of at sea automatic operation. Patent(s)4 on improved technology of sensors, algorithms and control solutions are included in the re-hosting of software for today’s faster marine computer/displays, as an add-on to new and existing ARPAs and ECDIS to fully modernize for today’s technology level.