Aero-Marine Systems is building the software-defined future of GBA maritime transit. By integrating aerospace-grade flight control algorithms with Pearl River Delta carbon-composite supply chains, the EF-150 architecture completely decouples the hull from hydrodynamic drag—slashing energy requirements by 80% and making high-speed electric commuter routes commercially viable.
Before committing significant capital to physical vessel fabrication, we prioritize a Software-First Development Strategy. By establishing a high-fidelity 6-DOF Digital Twin and HIL benchtop within HKSTP, we mathematically validate the core flight control algorithms first—eliminating physical crash and asset-loss risks during early-stage control loop tuning.
6-DOF hydrodynamic physics engine in Gazebo/MATLAB simulating hull wave-making resistance, T-foil lift/drag, cavitation limits, and surface-proximity decay.
Real-time C++/RTOS flight control algorithms tested against virtual Victoria Harbour & GBA wave states (JONSWAP models) to prove 100 Hz control stability.
Flashing validated software onto target Jetson/STM32 compute nodes connected to benchtop waterproof flap actuators ensuring sub-8ms deterministic latency.
Following mathematical proof in Phase 0, we move to physical validation. High-speed hydrofoiling is fundamentally an aerospace control problem. Because dynamic instability scales inversely with physical size, a sub-scale 3.56-meter vessel experiences higher natural oscillation frequencies than the full commercial crafts. Stabilizing the D1 in real-world harbor sea-states completely de-risks the physical flight control stack.
Dual deterministic microcontrollers running real-time RTOS. Ingests dual IMUs, high-speed ultrasonic ride-height sensors, and a forward-scanning micro-LiDAR for wave feedforward compensation.
Scaled strictly according to Froude number criteria (Fn = 1.17). Operating at 13.4 knots simulates the wave-making, cavitation boundaries, and flap dynamics of the full-scale vessel at 38 knots.
Tested directly offshore at Hong Kong Science Park (Pak Shek Kok waterfront / Tolo Harbour). Swappable 48V LFP batteries eliminate shore charging needs during R&D, slashing sea-trial costs.
Jumping directly from a 3.5-meter drone to a 28.5-meter 150-pax ferry is un-fundable by early-stage VCs. The BAYWING-D2 is our commercial bridge: a 15m, 25-passenger vessel designed to validate human-rated intra-city Hong Kong transit, secure HKMD marine certifications, and generate recurring revenue. Critically, our Sheung Wan Landing No. 1 shore-power node (in active technical review with HK Electric's Distribution Planning Department for a 250–900 kW LV supply + BESS buffer) serves as the dual-purpose validation hub for both the D2's 500 kW fast charger and the EF-150's first BESS buffer module.
While the D1 de-risks our flight-control IP at near-zero OPEX in Tolo Harbour, the D2 targets short-haul intra-harbour & island routes (Central Piers 7–10, Wan Chai, Discovery Bay). By establishing our first 300–900 kW LV shore-power & BESS demarcation node at Sheung Wan Landing No. 1 (a public landing steps from the Central and Macau terminals), we validate both the D2's 500 kW fast-charging operations and the first modular BESS unit for the EF-150 Macau corridor.
The D2 bridges the "Valley of Death." This staged capital architecture minimizes founder and early angel dilution by leveraging non-dilutive statutory capital across both prototyping and pilot phases. Pitching VCs to fund a HK$ 10M (~US$ 1.28M) Seed/Pre-A round directly triggers the government's ITF Enterprise Support Scheme (ESS) 1:1 matching grant, immediately doubling the capital to HK$ 20M (~US$ 2.56M) to fully fund the D2 construction, testing, and launch.
Legacy fast ferries rely on multi-megawatt diesel gas turbines pushing heavy displacement hulls. High marine fuel costs and escalating engine overhaul expenses compress operating margins. Our Fly-by-Wire control system enables a thermodynamic shift.
Fully submerged T-foils lift the hull completely above the waves at 18+ knots, decoupling the vessel from hydrodynamic displacement drag.
Triple-redundant Fly-by-Wire software reads IMUs and LiDAR, adjusting submerged flaps 100x/sec to neutralize Victoria Harbour wake pitch and roll.
Floating/dockside BESS trickle-charges continuously off existing 300–900 kW LV municipal transformers, delivering 3.5 MW DC bursts without HV grid bottlenecks.
Direct electric pod drives yield ~$4.90 USD/NM energy costs, compared to ~$22.50 USD/NM for legacy marine gas oil turbines.
Simulate the financial viability of replacing legacy diesel vessels with the EF-150 platform. Data is calibrated for HKMD COLREGs speed restrictions (12-knot displacement mode within Victoria Harbour limits before 38-knot foiling in open waters).
Structural, shore-power, and regulatory parameters across the BAYWING architecture roadmap, from the D1 demonstrator to the full EF-150 commercial flagship.
| Engineering Parameter | D1 (1:8 Demonstrator) | D2 (Commercial Pilot) | EF-150 (Commercial Flagship) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tech Readiness & Timeline | TRL 4 → 6 (Months 1–12) | TRL 6 → 8 (Months 13–26) | TRL 8 → 9 (Months 27–36+) |
| Length Overall (LOA) / Span | 3.56 m / 1.22 m | 15.0 m / 4.50 m | 28.50 m / 9.80 m |
| All-Up Displacement Mass | ~109 kg (λ = 8 Cubed) | ~12,000 kg (25 Pax + 2 Crew) | ~56,000 kg (150 Pax + 4 Crew) |
| Cruise Speed & Froude (Fn) | 13.4 Knots (Fn = 1.17) | 32.0 Knots (Fn = 1.36) | 38.0 Knots (Fn = 1.17) |
| Installed Powertrain | 2x 1.0 kW Brushless Pods | 2x 150 kW Rim/Pod Drives | 2x 650 kW Dual-Redundant Pods |
| Battery Pack & Chemistry | 1.0 kWh 48V Swappable LFP | 400 kWh 800V Marine LFP (~2.6 t) | 1.2 MWh 800V Marine LFP (~7.8 t) |
| Shore Charging & HKE Pier Node | Zero-Grid Swappable (HKSTP Tolo Harbour Slipway) | 500 kW DC via 300kW HKE LV + BESS (Sheung Wan Landing No. 1 → Central Pier 7–10 & Wan Chai) | 3.5 MW MCS via 4.0 MWh BESS Buffer (HK–Macau Terminal Sheung Wan / SkyPier) |
HKSTP grants alone cannot fund full-scale commercial vessels—and early-stage VCs will not fund unvalidated shipyard CapEx. Our staged capital stack uses 93.5% non-dilutive HKSTP/ITF grants for Phase 0–1 IP creation, then unlocks 1:1 ITF Enterprise Support Scheme (ESS) co-matching for Phase 2 (D2) VC syndicate investors.
2x Full-Time Control Systems & Marine Mechatronics Engineers (100% covered via ITF Research Talent Hub)
MATLAB/Simulink Control Toolboxes, Star-CCM+ / ANSYS Fluent CFD licenses, Gazebo/ROS2 cloud compute
NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano, dual STM32H7 ECUs, SBG marine IMU, ultrasonic/LiDAR sensors & carbon T-foil rig
Principal Systems Architect technical leadership, utility/marine regulatory interfacing (HKE/HKMD), and 18-month corporate operational runway
PCT & regional patent filings for 100Hz wave-feedforward active foil stabilization & BESS dock telemetry (90% PAG subsidized)
Science Park bench space, third-party marine test insurance, and Tolo Harbour slipway sea-trial logistics
Public grants reimburse HK$ 2,990,000 of the HK$ 3,198,000 budget. Early angel/seed capital serves primarily as a low-risk Working-Capital Reimbursement Float Facility, protecting early investors from R&D burn while capturing 100% of core flight-control IP.
Direct grant & operational subsidy covering lab rent, HIL hardware tooling, and R&D milestones.
100% government-funded salary reimbursement for 2 full-time Master/PhD control & mechatronics engineers.
Covers 90% of up to HK$ 278k in PCT and regional patent filings (10% net co-pay).
Covers the HK$ 208k net gap + working-capital float ahead of HKSTP/ITF reimbursement cycles to launch Phase 0 SIL & Phase 1 D1 in Tolo Harbour.
1:1 matching via HK Innovation & Technology Fund (ESS) + Green Tech Fund to build the 25-pax BAYWING-D2 and energize the first 500 kW HKE BESS charger.
Co-investment with PRD composite shipyards, green shipping leasing funds, and ferry operators for EF-150 fleet scaling across HK–Macau–Shenzhen.
We systematically neutralize the three biggest failure modes in marine electrification: hydrodynamic control instability, utility grid bottlenecks, and shipyard balance-sheet bloat.
HK Electric’s Distribution Planning Department has formally initiated technical feasibility review and scheduled a joint site walkover at Sheung Wan Landing No. 1 (adjacent to the HK–Macau Ferry Terminal) for our 250 kW – 900 kW continuous Low-Voltage (380V/415V AC) supply profile. Located at the junction of the Central and Macau ferry corridors, this public landing serves as a dual-purpose node: validating the 500 kW charger for our intra-harbour BAYWING-D2 pilot (extending to Central Piers 7–10 & Wan Chai Pier) while establishing the first modular floating BESS buffer for the 3.5 MW EF-150 Macau flagship—without triggering multi-year 11kV road excavations.
STRUCTURAL MOAT & CAPITAL EFFICIENCY
By executing a software-first Digital Twin (Phase 0) and sub-scale Froude demonstrator (Phase 1), HK$ 2.99M of our HK$ 3.20M initial budget is covered by HKSTP Incu-Tech, ITF RTH, and PAG grants. Investor equity isn't burned on raw aluminium.
A 3.56m autonomous testbed (D1) has a higher natural pitch/heave frequency than a 28.5m vessel. Proving 100Hz active flap stabilization on the D1 in Tolo Harbour mathematically solves control stability before carrying a single passenger on the D2.
Decoupling the hull cuts energy burn to ~$4.90 USD/NM vs ~$22.50 USD/NM for MGO diesel catamarans, delivering a ~3.1-year payback on EV CapEx premium and optimal 50% Depth-of-Discharge LFP battery longevity (4,000+ cycles).
EXECUTION, GRID & MANUFACTURING DE-RISKING
Mitigation: ITF Research Talent Hub funds 2 full-time control/mechatronics engineers from Day 1, built on modular ROS2/AUTOSAR-compliant C++ architecture and standard COTS avionics (Jetson/STM32H7) to eliminate single-developer lock-in.
Mitigation (Active): Rather than waiting years for 11kV substations, our unidirectional floating BESS draws 250–900 kW continuous LV power from existing HKE transformers—already under joint site review with HK Electric at Sheung Wan Landing No. 1.
Mitigation: Aero-Marine Systems is an aerospace flight-control & powertrain OEM—not a capital-heavy shipyard. Hull layup is contracted to established Pearl River Delta (PRD) carbon-composite yards under DNV HSLC classification, while we retain high-margin FCS software, foil struts, and BESS charging IP.