DanaDynamics left the Odense Robotics StartUp Hub at the Danish Technological Institute this summer. After 15 months in the Hub, the startup exited the Hub ready to move into the last stages of testing and development of their autonomous system to assist navigation in merchant ships and special vessels.
DanaDynamics is developing an autonomous navigation system that in the long run will let smaller ships sail more autonomously, while also reducing the risk of accidents at sea. The system can be integrated into existing nautical systems and maritime drones – ASVs – and is a tool that works like an autonomous assistant that improves safety and reduces resources onboard merchant ships and special vessels.
The startup entered the Odense Robotics StartUp Hub in March 2020, following an 18-month programme at the Maritime Startup Hub in Svendborg, where they developed their first maritime drone for hydrographic surveys. DanaDynamics then spent the next 15 months in Odense focused on further developing their autonomous navigation software for commercial ships sailing inshore in heavy traffic.
“Being in the StartUp Hub greatly enhanced our network and helped us find the collaboration partners we needed for the next steps of our journey. The robotics expertise in the Hub also provided us with a great sounding board for our ideas and helped us accelerate the development of our software,” says Martin Stockholm, Co-founder of DanaDynamics.
Demo in Svendborg
The startup left the Hub over the summer and now has an office at Svendborg College, where the team is currently in the last stages of their development and testing. Indeed, DanaDynamics had great success last month at their large demo at Svendborg Harbour, where the team demonstrated the system, which enabled a boat to navigate and sail autonomously for ten nautical miles, while evading obstacles.
“We have great expectations to the system, which we hope will be used as an autonomous assistant tool that can help improve safety and reduce accidents. Our demonstration last month proved that we are well on our way to making this a reality,” says Lasse Skriver Møller, Co-founder of DanaDynamics.
Next steps
The DanaDynamics team entered the Hub last year with a team of five and exited this summer with a team of ten. Entering the Hub a few weeks before the COVID-19 lockdown took place, the team spent the first few months working from home, before their development really took off.
Focusing on the last testing and development of their system and integration with drones and other systems, the startup will also conduct their first full scale testing next year when the software will be integrated in the M/F Højestene ferry that sails from Svendborg to Drejø.
“We have found a great partner in SIMAC in Svendborg through the StartUp Hub, which has really helped us move our development along. Soon we will also hire a couple of new employees to help set up our sales channels,” says Martin Stockholm.
DanaDynamics aims to launch the system summer 2022.
Learn more about DanaDynamics
Learn more about the Odense Robotics StartUp Hub
Or contact:
Peter Smedegaard, Business Development Manager, Startups, Odense Robotics
Phone: +45 92 82 52 02, mail: psm@odenserobotics.dk