Carpathia remains at the center of Hartera Robotics as we continue to develop the project not only technically, but also as a clearer and stronger product for real-world marine operations. From the beginning, Carpathia has been built as a robotic platform for vessel hull polishing and sanding, designed to reduce manual workload, improve consistency, and bring more structure to a demanding maintenance process that still depends heavily on physical labor.
Recent progress has been especially important because the system is no longer being shaped only through internal development, but also through direct testing in marina environments. One of these field activities took place in Umag, where the project received very positive reactions and strong interest. That kind of response is valuable because it confirms that the problem Carpathia addresses is real, visible, and increasingly relevant in practice. In marine maintenance, there is growing pressure to complete polishing and surface treatment efficiently, while at the same time the number of people willing to perform physically demanding manual work continues to decrease.
For Hartera Robotics, this is exactly where Carpathia creates value. The project is being developed as a practical robotic system that can be attached and deployed with a lightweight rope-based concept, allowing controlled work directly on vessel hull surfaces. The broader goal is to make hull treatment more repeatable, easier to manage, and less dependent on exhausting manual effort. By combining robust mechanics, embedded electronics, software-driven control, and system-level engineering, Carpathia represents our approach to building marine robotics for real operating conditions rather than controlled demonstrations alone.
Development is also continuing toward the next generation of the platform. The upcoming Carpathia version is being shaped with a stronger product mindset, including direct shore-power operation and a broader automation focus around both sanding and polishing, with primary emphasis on sanding. This next step is important because it moves the system closer to practical long-term deployment, where reliability, simpler operation, and stronger process integration matter just as much as technical functionality itself.
At the same time, we continue to improve how the project is presented and communicated. Carpathia is not only a prototype in development, but a growing product story that reflects the wider direction of Hartera Robotics: building robust systems that combine mechanics, electronics, automation, and software into solutions with clear operational value. As testing continues and the platform matures, our goal is to present Carpathia with the same seriousness with which it is being engineered.
This project is co-financed through the European Union’s NextGenerationEU framework and supported through HAMAG-BICRO under Grant Agreement No. NPOO.C1.1.2.R2-I4.01.0108, titled Carpathia – robot za poliranje brodova. This support plays an important role in enabling the continued development of the platform and the next stages of product and technical advancement.
