Imagine ripping along at 25 to 30 knots in the dark, in a big seaway, singlehanded aboard a 60-foot offshore racing sailboat in the nonstop around-the-world Vendée Globe race. Land and help are hundreds of miles away. Sleep is one of your most valuable currencies, but commercial vessels, fishing boats and whales also transit these waters. Trusting the big-ocean theory while you get some shut-eye can be risky business.

Optical-based collision-avoidance systems are a solution to this problem. One example is Sea.AI (née Oscar), which was developed in 2018 to help keep these kinds of sailors safe. Flash-forward seven years, and this type of technology is protecting boaters of all stripes, with numerous brands on the market and companies competing to advance the systems in various ways.

Optical-based collision-avoidance tech is an offshoot of automotive-based, advanced driver-assistance systems. This technology is quickly becoming an invaluable safety net, alongside radar and the automatic identification system, aboard well-equipped yachts. Elements of this technology are also critical for enabling assisted and autonomous docking and navigation systems. Contemporary systems alert captains of potential collision threats, with AI’s evolutionary curve suggesting more to come. Much like a car’s ADAS, this tech could soon also be standard kit aboard boats.

Most optical-based collision-avoidance systems have one or more cameras, an AI-enabled black-box processor and a display. Systems can include a daylight camera with low-light capabilities or a thermal-imaging camera, or both. The processor typically contains a library of annotated images that depict, for example, a vessel at sunset, a buoy in waves or a partially submerged container. The screen, which can be dedicated glass or a networked multifunction display, presents visual and audible alarms and real-time video imagery of any camera-captured targets.

The camera’s video is fed through the processor using AI computer vision and machine learning. It essentially lets the processor “see” through the camera. The processor then compares the camera’s real-time video feed with its imagery database, or it uses its knowledge of how to identify targets based on its annotated imagery database to identify nonwater objects in the camera’s field of view—a sailboat in the fog, for example.

“Our database contains more than 20 million objects in different scenarios, like sea states, weather conditions, geographic locations,” says Christian Rankl, Sea.AI’s chief technical officer. “It’s key to have a database with a wide range of objects and scenarios to build a highly reliable collision-avoidance system.”

Once the system has identified an object, it tracks it and calculates the real-time distance and bearing to the object, as well as a safe course (depicted on the display) around it.

The math isn’t trivial, says Sangwon Shin, vice president of recreational marine for Avikus, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai that specializes in autonomous navigation: “The hardest part about creating a collision-avoidance system is calculating the distance.” Factors include the boat’s pitch and roll, plus the marine environment’s diverse conditions. A boat’s distance from an object and its velocity also factor into calculating an avoidance path.

This all unfurls almost instantaneously with Avikus’ Neuboat Navi system. “It takes about 20 to 30 milliseconds,” Shin says about the time frame required to identify an object. The system, which uses an electro-optical camera and a lidar sensor to measure distance, recalculates this 10 times per second to ensure accuracy. “Sending the alarm to the boaters takes about 100 to 200 milliseconds,” Shin adds.

Other systems also offer processing times that are lightning-fast. Phil Bourque, Sea Machines’ vice president of global sales, says his company’s AI-ris system has latency of less than 0.25 seconds at full 4K resolution. “So, it does a lot of thinking very quickly.”

But speed is only one necessary component of these systems. They also have to minimize false alarms. Rankl says Sea.AI continuously refines its AI model by analyzing scenarios where it performed poorly. “It’s crucial for the AI to accurately distinguish real threats from benign objects.”

Sensor payload is another area where evolution is occurring, beyond hardware, software and AI models.

“While optical and thermal sensors are highly effective in detecting various floating objects, they, like all sensors, have limitations,” Rankl says, noting that these limitations could be addressed by integrating radar, AIS, lidar and sonar. “Our research department is actively evaluating the value these sensors can provide to our customers and how they can further enhance their safety at sea.”

Bourque agrees, noting that Sea Machines is working to integrate AIS and radar into AI-ris. “We certainly see the demand for the fusion of computer vision, radar and AIS,” he says.

Another important integration involves displayed cartography and data overlays. Anyone who cruises with radar and AIS is familiar with how multifunction displays can overlay AIS targets and radar data atop vector cartography. To that end, Sea.AI recently partnered with TimeZero to display targets detected by Sea.AI’s Sentry system atop TimeZero’s TZ Professional navigation software. “We are actively working toward integrating our machine vision with other platforms as well,” Rankl says.

Sea.AI isn’t alone in this thinking. Avikus’ Neuboat Navi presents camera-detected targets in its real-time head-up display, and Sea Machines’ SM300 autonomous command and control system displays camera-detected targets atop cartography.

The trick, of course, will be getting optically detected targets onto mainstream multifunction displays, but multiple sources say this is already in the works.

Accurately assessing the future of optical-based collision-avoidance systems is a tougher ask.

Bourque says the next five years should see these systems mature and progress—much like the ADAS performance curve. He also says today’s refit customers will want this technology to come factory-installed aboard their next yachts, necessitating that designers and builders allocate physical space for these systems.

In addition, Rankl says, optical-based collision-avoidance technology will become a standard feature on boats, akin to radar and AIS. He sees low-Earth-orbit satellites such as Starlink playing a big role with their fast, global connectivity.

“This will enable the development of large vision models specialized for maritime use,” he says. Rankl also predicts that the rise of AI spatial intelligence, which allows AI models to understand and interact with geographic information, will let collision-avoidance systems better predict the movements of detected targets based on their positions and trajectories.

“Over the next five to 10 years, we expect multimodal systems that integrate data from all available boat sensors—cameras, radars, AIS, etc.—into a unified AI acting as a 24/7 co-skipper,” Rankl says.

Shin agrees but is more bullish about the time frame, which he puts at three to five years. “This technology will be developed in a way that combines multiple sensors and provides more accurate information,” he says. In five to 10 years, he adds, a single piece of hardware will provide “all the necessary data for collision avoidance.” As far as autonomous docking and navigation, Shin says: “We do not aim only to give situational awareness and provide suggested collision-avoidance routing. Our ultimate goal is to provide [an] autonomous system for boats, which is only possible with accurate distance calculation.”

Sea Machines is also integrating its optical-based collision-avoidance system with autopilot and engine controls to enable autonomous decision-making. Sea.AI is exploring options and applications for its technology.

As with all technologies, optical-based collision-avoidance systems aren’t without their high and low tides. On the positive side, these stand-alone systems add significant safety margins and don’t rely on signals transmitted from other vessels. Conversely, all technologies add cost and complexity, and false alarms can trigger unnecessary stress.

While today’s optical-based collision-avoidance systems offer a sea-change advancement over trusting the big-ocean theory, it will be fascinating to see what future directions the technology takes. Either way, there’s no question that technology which began as specialized equipment for racing sailors is already having a massive impact on the wider boating world.

Evading Other Emergencies

In addition to spotting potential collision targets, optical-based detection systems can be used to locate and track a crewmember who has fallen overboard. Since these systems don’t rely on incoming AIS signals or radar returns, they can be key for detecting, identifying and tracking possible piracy threats.

Nautical Nightmare

A crewmember overboard is one of every captain’s worst fears, but the same camera systems that can help avoid collisions can be used to locate crewmembers in distress.

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There’s an African proverb that says, “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” It’s often the difficult experiences at sea which offer the most valuable lessons, especially when the weather takes a turn for the nautical.

Maritime safety hinges on continuous advancements, particularly as vessels operate in increasingly busy waters and in unpredictable weather conditions. Sea.AI, an innovator in AI for maritime vision, is enhancing its capabilities by integrating Tocaro Blue’s radar perception software, ProteusCore, into its navigation platform.

Integrating ProteusCore with Sea.AI’s system marks a major step in maritime safety technology, introducing a comprehensive multi-sensor approach to navigation. This process merges ProteusCore’s radar capabilities with Sea.AI’s platform, enabling the visualization of filtered radar targets within the Sea.AI interface.

This integration merges data from optical, thermal, AIS, and radar systems into one interface, simplifying operator decision-making and improving detection accuracy. It enhances the differentiation between true targets and noise, boosting situational awareness and reducing false alarms that could disrupt operations.

By combining radar with visual technologies, this collaboration sets new safety benchmarks for various maritime applications. The integrated radar perception technology is applicable across diverse maritime environments.

Since 2018, Sea.AI has led maritime technology innovation with onboard safety systems utilizing machine vision. These systems enhance operators’ ability to navigate by relying on a vast database of annotated marine objects for precise recognition. Using advanced camera technology and AI, it detects and classifies objects that conventional systems like radar or AIS might miss.

ProteusCore transforms marine radar into a sophisticated perception tool by leveraging machine learning. It addresses the limitations of traditional radar technology, such as slow scanning speeds and excess noise, by using over two million labeled radar images for training.

Radar is excellent at detecting objects at great distances and in challenging conditions, but it has not been extensively used for advanced navigation assistance due to its inherent limitations. ProteusCore overcomes these with machine learning models that enhance detection, eliminate noise, and track objects precisely.

Marcus Warellmann, Sea.AI’s CEO, states, “Merging radar with optical and thermal vision enables us to deliver an AI-enhanced safety system, transforming instruments into intelligent tools.” John Minor, CEO of Tocaro Blue, adds, “This collaboration brings powerful sensor fusion to enhance maritime situational awareness, supporting Sea.AI’s mission of sea safety.”

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Boat-show season is the time when new-product announcements drop faster than daylight hours. This is great news for anyone looking to upgrade a boat’s electronics, and it’s also a chance to see all the fascinating ideas that have been percolating in companies’ R&D departments.

As you’re touring the docks and tents, keep an eye out for these products, which are all worth a closer look.

Fusion

While achieving playlist consensus can be tricky, all ears can agree that high-quality speakers outperform the low-end alternatives. Fusion’s Apollo speakers ($550 to $800) and subwoofers ($450 to $950) use redesigned motors and composite materials for everyone’s listening pleasure at higher volumes. Embedded dual-hue LED lighting, hexagonal-shaped tweeters and interchangeable grills enhance the onboard aesthetics. The coaxial speakers come in three sizes—6.5, 7.7 and 8.8 inches—and the subwoofers are available in 10- and 12-inch models. Apollo speakers and subwoofers have IP66/IP67 environmental ratings as well as marinized connectors, and are optimized to work with Fusion-built stereos.

Garmin

Seeing is believing, and Garmin’s GC 255 Flush Mount Camera makes it easier to believe that an approach to the dock will be successful. The GC 255 ($1,000) comes bundled in a stainless-steel body and delivers up to 1080p high-resolution imagery across a 160-by-90-degree field of view. It can present bird’s-eye, fish-eye or standard views, along with vessel-specific distance markers and customizable guidance lines that help to defang docking and close-quarters maneuvers. The GC 255 has an IPX7 rating, weighs 22.9 ounces, measures 3.2-by-3.2-by-3.3 inches, and has a plug-and-play setup with compatible Garmin-built multifunction displays.

JL Audio

This brand arrived at the fall shows with two new options for generating good times afloat. The MM55 ($400) provides full stereo control via its eight hard buttons, volume-control knob and 2.8-inch color screen, while the white-box MM55-HR ($350) networks with a compatible multifunction display or JL Audio-built controller for its user interface to provide a clean-looking helm. Both stereos support three audio zones, each with dedicated subwoofer outputs and independent or unified volume controls. They also sport built-in 100-watt amplifiers and digital AM/FM tuners. Additionally, both stereos have Bluetooth, USB 2.0 and NMEA 2000 connectivity, and come with auxiliary inputs for connecting external analog devices.

Lumitec

Visibility is paramount for safe anchoring and nocturnal operations. Lumitec’s Contour Masthead Combo Light is designed to ensure that a vessel can be seen from at least 3 nautical miles. The slim, lightweight light is available with an antenna mount ($250) or an Angler motorized base ($1,050) that raises and lowers the light as needed. Both versions have a 225-degree masthead light, a 360-degree anchor light and a 135-degree stern light that sit atop a 39-inch shaft. (Custom lengths are available.) Both are certified to US Coast Guard and National Marine Manufacturers Association standards.

Maretron

The WSV200 MConnect Web Server lets users take deep dives into their NMEA 2000 networks. Users can view graphically rich custom-built or pre-built user-interface screens for a wealth of vessel and systems data. Boaters also can access the MConnect Web Server ($600) while aboard using a compatible networked multifunction display, or from afar using embedded virtual private networks and any third-party device that has a web browser. Each MConnect can pair to two NMEA 2000 networks and more than 400 N2K data points. MConnect black boxes can also connect with digital-switching systems (third-party and Maretron-built systems), giving owners and three other users the ability to control and monitor systems and real-time information via a single platform. Additionally, each MConnect has an RJ45 Ethernet port, a USB 3.0 port and built-in Wi-Fi connectivity.

Sea.AI

Optical-based systems for collision avoidance are one of the most exciting instruments in years, but adding a full system can be redundant for boaters who already cruise with thermal-imaging cameras. Sea.AI’s Brain ($8,990) is a black-box system that processes imagery from a compatible thermal-imaging camera (one that conforms with the Open Network Video Interface Forum’s Profile S standards) and applies its embedded AI to detect nonwater objects in the video feed to provide warnings and alarms. Sea.AI’s Brain has three operating modes (collision avoidance, 360-degree surveillance and manual), and it’s compatible with Android, Apple iOS and Windows operating systems. Sea.AI’s Brain connects to a thermal-imaging camera via Ethernet, and it connects to a third-party device via Wi-Fi. Boaters use third-party software to display their camera’s video feed—plus Brain-detected targets and alarms—on their device.

Siren Marine

For years, connected-boat technology was mostly reserved for vessels with lengthy waterlines. This changed when Siren Marine introduced the Siren 3 for tenders and outboard-powered side rides. Each Siren 3 ($300) can network with six Siren-built wireless sensors (including bilge, high-water, entry and temperature sensors) via SirenWave, which is Siren Marine’s proprietary communications protocol. Additionally, each Siren 3 system can monitor one hard-wired battery, network with the boat’s NMEA 2000 backbone, and network with Yamaha’s Command Link network. Users can monitor all the information using a smartphone or smartwatch, and via the Siren Connected Boat app. Siren 3 is designed to be DIY or builder-installed, and it has a new internal antenna that makes it fit aboard smaller rides easier than its big brother, the Siren 3 Pro.

Tocaro Blue

Radars may be powerful sensors, but they can be challenging to read, especially for occasional users. Tocaro Blue’s Proteus Hub ($2,950) simplifies this task by connecting to a vessel’s NMEA 2000 data backbone and accessing networked radar and sensor data (depth, automatic identification system, heading and location information). Tocaro Blue’s ProteusCore software then applies AI machine learning to remove radar clutter and determine the nature of each target, such as buoys, markers and vessels. The system communicates with the radar to help optimize target detection, and it leverages the radar feed along with data from other networked sensors to predict the movement of its own vessel and all gathered targets over a 30-second horizon. This information is presented on a compatible multifunction display as a two-dimensional top-down map or a 3D view. Users can jump between views to find their best presentational fit.

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Sea.AI, a company that uses artificial intelligence technology to try and improve safety at sea through better situational awareness at the helm, premiered its Watchkeeper system this month at the Palm Beach International Boat Show.

Watchkeeper uses Sea.AI’s database of millions of annotated marine objects—floating debris, rafts, buoys, boats not equipped with AIS, and more—to help skippers and crew see hazards and avoid accidents. The idea behind Watchkeeper is to bring this kind of affordable, AI-powered collision-avoidance technology to more recreational boaters, including those who own powerboats and fishing boats of most sizes.

“Our goal with Watchkeeper is to bring advanced safety technology to more boaters, at a price point that makes sense for a broad range of applications,” Marcus Warrelmann, CEO of Sea.AI, stated in a press release. “Collisions are the first event in more than half of all boating accidents and injuries. With automated real-time alerts, Watchkeeper is your extra set of eyes on the water, working in all light conditions and sea states.”

The price point for Watchkeeper starts at $4,999. That includes a 4K low-light camera with an ultrawide field of view; built-in GPS; and Sea.AI software for object recognition. For boaters who need full night-vision capabilities, there’s also a version of the system with integrated long-wave infrared thermal cameras.

Watchkeeper adds to Sea.AI’s existing portfolio of products, which includes the flagship offering called Sentry for large yachts and commercial vessels. Sentry is a 360-degree, AI-powered perimeter surveillance system that provides real-time tracking of people who go overboard, floating hazards, unlit objects and unauthorized approaches, even in total darkness.

Sea.AI also makes products specifically for bluewater sailors, as well as products for racing sailors whose boats have rotating masts. The company’s goal with all of its products is to combine the latest camera technology with artificial intelligence, to give skippers and crewmembers better situational awareness and detection capability than conventional systems such as radar and AIS.

What else did Sea.AI display at the Palm Beach International Boat Show? The company also used the event to promote Brain, which is an add-on product that lets vessels upgrade existing thermal cameras to integrate AI-powered object detection and collision avoidance with automatic alarms. Brain detects small objects, including people who fall overboard, and has real-time alerts to improve situational awareness at the helm.

Take the next step: learn more about all this AI-augmented technology at sea.ai

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Timezero and Sea.AI have partnered to integrate data from Sea.AI with Timezero’s navigational software. The result for boaters is a boost to situational awareness on the waterways.

This partnership allows mariners who cruise with Timezero software and a Sea.AI Sentry system to display Sea.AI data and alarms atop TZ Professional’s cartography.

The Sentry system uses a combination of daylight and thermal-imaging cameras along with AI to detect, identify and track floating objects. TZ Professional software combines Sea.AI’s target information with radar and automatic identification system data.

While this integration can help to keep mariners safer, it required aligning Sea.AI and Timezero’s data formats. “We tested a specific workspace within a newly developed HTML environment tailored for third-party applications to seamlessly incorporate the full Sea.AI app,” says Frederic Algalarrondo, Timezero’s sales and marketing director. “We also revamped the interface with new icons and visual cues to ensure users could easily distinguish Sea.AI targets from radar and AIS targets. These efforts were crucial in delivering a user-friendly experience.”  

Going Pro

TZ Professional gives access to Sea.AI’s features, settings and alarm controls. When users click on a target, a text box shows classification information. Timezero presents Sea.AI’s live daylight and thermal-imaging camera feeds of the target next to a chart-plotter screen. Symbols show if a target has been detected by AIS (empty triangle), radar (empty green circle) or the Sea.AI system (solid green triangle). 

Take the next step: mytimezero.com

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In 2020, the BSB Group released Oscar, a machine vision collision-avoidance system. Oscar used cameras to detect objects, and it would send real-time alerts to avoid collisions.

The company, now called Sea.AI, has since partnered with Pixel sur Mer, a French data-management and vessel-control company, and with ENSTA Bretagne, a French university with expertise in robotic engineering and autonomous navigation. Together, the trio is innovating Exos 2024, an AI and multisensor system for detecting, identifying and autonomously dodging obstacles.

These sensors include automatic identification system receivers, global-positioning system receivers, radar and cameras. Exos 2024 fuses information from all the networked sensors, allowing AI to make more-informed decisions than an optical-only solution.

Gaetan Gouerou, Sea.AI’s co-founder, says one of Exos 2024’s main challenges is determining when the system should intervene. “The autopilot will only take over in the event of a proven dangerous situation,” he says. “The acquisition of reliable information required for such action is a challenge.”

Gouerou says the group’s collective experiences will allow them to build a solution faster than any of the three could develop the technology alone. The plan is to make Exos 2024 available to singlehanded sailors competing in the 2024 Vendee Globe around-the-world race.

Database Building

In 2020, Sea.AI commanded a million annotated maritime objects in its database. It’s now more than 9 million objects. Exos 2024’s AI examines real-time imagery captured by its cameras using information gleaned from its database to detect and identify nonwater objects. Sea.AI plans to leverage the gains it makes with the Exos 2024 project to improve Sentry, a collision-avoidance system for power cruising.   

Take the next step: sea.ai

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