NSF Award To be used in Partnership with Leading Marine Design and Engineering Firm
NAPLES, Fla., April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Naples, Florida-based marine electronics company, WaveArray Antifouling Systems, LLC, has been awarded a $199,410 National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology Enhancement for Commercial Partnership (TECP) Award. The 12-month program aims to support WaveArray’s partnership with a leading marine design and engineering firm in the development of their SlipArray™ technology platform. The platform, which utilizes ultrasonic transducer arrays submerged in slips, is designed to prevent barnacles and other biofouling species from attaching to boats and other submerged surfaces.
The partnership with the marine design firm will allow WaveArray to continue their development of the SlipArray system while studying the environmental benefits of the technology versus current methods. With toxic bottom paints being scrutinized by regulatory agencies for their harm to the environment and ineffectiveness, a green solution such as the SlipArray system is much needed. Many marinas are now limiting the frequency of which divers can clean boats because the cleaning process removes bottom paint and spills it into the water. The partnership’s key objectives are to monitor the reliability and effectiveness of the SlipArray system, work on potential improvements, and study the environmental benefits of the system versus current methods.
“This partnership will help propel WaveArray forward by receiving constructive feedback and ultimately the stamp of approval from a well-respected marine design and engineering firm. It is a major step in WaveArray’s mission to revolutionize the way that boats are protected from fouling. The NSF’s continued recognition and support of WaveArray has not only been incredibly helpful but helps validate our approach and mission” said Dr. Jim DiLorenzo, CEO and founder of WaveArray Antifouling Systems LLC.
The company was previously awarded a $1,000,000 NSF SBIR Phase II award and a $225,000 NSF SBIR Phase I award to develop the concepts of low voltage underwater transducer arrays for biofouling prevention and successfully demonstrate them in marinas around Southwest Florida. The early success of these programs has led to winning the TECP award, where the system will continue to be developed in the market with the help of industry experts.
About WaveArray Antifouling Systems LLC
WaveArray Antifouling Systems, LLC is a business headquartered in Naples, FL specifically created to solve the problem of biofouling on submerged structures. It has won multiple National Science Foundation (America’s Seed Fund) awards based upon its innovative solutions.
WaveArray’s team is comprised of boaters, fishermen, and technologists who are fed up with the archaic antifouling solutions used today. WaveArray uses patented arrays of ultrasonic transducers in submersible housings placed in a boat slip to always keep the hull and running gear clean of fouling.
About the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Programs
America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. For more information, visit seedfund.nsf.gov.
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