This project was made possible by the intensive collaboration of many MARIN employees and a network of specialists from renowned companies and institutes, including Royal NLR.

For more information contact William Otto.

MARIN developed BlueLabs, a new facility that enables us to continue contributing effectively to technological developments for sustainability at sea.

BlueLabs provides:

• Unique wind generation systems for realistic wind field modelling over large areas to study aerohydrodynamic interaction of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT), floating solar panels, and floating infrastructure.

• Wireless and optical measurement solutions to minimize cabling influences on motions and structural behaviour while increasing measurement areas and volumes.

• A hybrid testing facility combining software-in-the-loop wind field modelling and basin models equipped with wind force generating actuators.

• A new model scale rotor nacelle assembly for testing future FOWTs in the 20+ MW range.

BlueLabs’ technology will be applied in various projects starting from April, including the Scalewind JIP to test a 22 MW FOWT and ‘Climate Fund – Offshore Solar’ of the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth.

For a detailed impression, watch BlueLabs for floating offshore wind turbines and BlueLabs for floating solar panels and infrastructure.

In February, the Maritime AI Innovation Lab welcomed a group of partners from the maritime, AI and engineering domains to shape new innovation tracks. The lab brings industry stakeholders together to jointly develop shortcyclic, high impact AI solutions for maritime challenges - bridging research, technology and real-world application.

During the session, participants explored opportunities for new consortia and cocreated early concepts for the next development tracks. Three promising themes emerged: Holistic Design, integrating smart platform use into the design process; Hull Geometry Encoding, enabling generative AI–supported design studies; and Operational Optimisation, improving fleet-wide planning through real-time data. These proposals are reviewed by the lab management and NML Innovation Council, which select one track to start this summer.

Want to learn more? Visit the Maritime AI Innovation Lab webpage or contact Tobias van Dijk for details and collaboration opportunities.

Free RollPeriod app for accurate onboard measurements

MARIN has introduced RollPeriod, a new mobile application that enables maritime professionals to measure roll and pitch periods directly on board. The app, released in March, turns any smartphone into an accurate motion measurement tool using built-in sensors and FFT-based analysis. 

Understanding a ship’s roll period is essential for assessing risks such as synchronous or parametric roll. RollPeriod provides real-time insight and offers practical functions including CSV import and export, giving users a straightforward way to analyse and share data. The app also relates the measured roll period to ship stability (GM), supporting better informed decisions.

RollPeriod was developed as a follow up of the TopTier project, which focuses on reducing the risk of container loss at sea by improving operational awareness, and was created by MARIN interns Diane Queau and Teiva Mettelet.

The free app is available for both iOS and Android through the App Store and Google Play. For more information contact Rob Grin.