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.”

The post Advancing Maritime Safety appeared first on Yachting.

It was 0100 on the tennessee-tombigbee waterway, and Capt. Scott “Red” Flowers was running his Canyon Bay 28h at 17 knots. He encountered a tugboat pushing barges. The tug was illuminated, but the barges were dark. While Flowers is a self-described “old-school radar guy,” the situation was confusing and unfurling fast. Then his Tocaro Blue Proteus Hub prompted him with collision-avoidance alerts. “I hate to admit it,” he says, “but without Proteus, I may have gotten into the barges.”

Instead of crashing, Flowers completed his Great Loop Challenge route in 19 days, 19 hours and 50 minutes, besting the record by nine days while raising $1 million for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Radar is one of the most important collision-avoidance sensors afloat, but reading radar imagery is an art that can take years to master. It can be frustrating for boaters who only get out on the water a handful of times a season. Tocaro Blue’s Proteus Hub navigation system uses AI machine learning to demystify radar. It bolsters situational awareness by way of built-in cartography and networked automatic identification system data, creating user-friendly two- and three-dimensional screen views of the water ahead on compatible multi- function displays.

Tocaro Blue’s Proteus Hub ($2,950) is a black-box system that networks with a yacht’s NMEA 2000 backbone, also letting it access the boat’s AIS, compass (ideally, its satellite compass), depth transducer and GPS (or GNSS) sensor data. Proteus then connects with the MFD via Ethernet to access data from a compatible magnetron or solid- state radar and to display its 2D and 3D screen views.

Read More: New Yacht Tech for a New Season

Proteus Hubs are built from aluminum and Delrin plastic. They measure 8-by-4-by-1.5 inches. They sport 4G LTE, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antennas and connectivity, along with N2K, HDMI, USB and Ethernet ports. They also come loaded with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration charts, and with bathymetric data sourced from Tocaro Blue’s user community. C-Map cartography is optional.

Proteus Hubs contain a central processing unit that runs Tocaro Blue’s machine-learning software, which “learns”—sans human instruction or programming—by applying algorithms and statistical models to networked data. Tocaro Blue also offers a software developer kit called Proteus Core that allows using the machine-learning software aboard third-party hardware.

“The intent with Proteus is to provide clear, smart navigation to the captain,” says Andrew Rains, Tocaro Blue’s senior sales director. “By that, we mean reducing the complexity of existing nautical charts and radar displays, and combining a lot of sensor information into one simple interface.”

In the case of radar, Tocaro Blue’s auto-focus function uses machine learning to eliminate irrelevant radar returns, such as land and wave noise. It classifies returns into one of eight categories: land, shoreline constructions, bridges, wake, aids to navigation, small boats (less than 40 feet), medium-size vessels (40 to 150 feet) and large vessels (larger than 150 feet). All of them are represented graphically by icons.

“We can draw a picture of a real object instead of just a radar blob on the screen,” Rains says, noting that Proteus Hubs can classify and track an unlimited number of targets. “That lets us present a lot of information in a simplified format.”

The auto-focus function also helps the system predict how radar targets will behave, and it provides corresponding alert levels. For example, Rains says, small boats tend to exhibit more erratic behavior than large ships. Tocaro Blue’s machine-learning software uses its classification system, embedded cartography, and data coming from other networked sensors to predict the future behavior of its own vessel and of acquired targets over a 30-second horizon.

If this sounds like signal filtering on steroids, welcome to the AI age.

“Machine learning is a lot more sophisticated than filtering, but I’d say that we can intelligently filter [radar targets] because we use machine learning,” Rains says. Raw radar data, he adds, is better for the system’s machine-learning software than post-processed radar returns such as Doppler processing. “Machine learning gets better with the better data that you feed it.”

For example, if the system knows that some returns are land or aids to navigation based on its cartography, then its machine learning can focus on identifying the other targets and predicting their behavior.

This information, plus closest-point-of-approach data to all targets, is presented on a graphically intuitive 2D or 3D screen view on the networked MFD. Users can split their MFD screen between a Proteus Hub screen view and standard radar imagery.

The result, Rains says, is far greater situational awareness than bloblike radar returns, especially when tricky navigation or dodgy crossings are involved.

“It eliminates the question: What’s that?” Rains says. “It eliminates the time that they need to spend learning how to use all their radar capabilities.”

More-advanced users get the most value from the system, he adds, because the software “can present really intelligent collision-avoidance alerts to the captain.” Even old salts, of course, can get distracted.

Looking ahead, Tocaro Blue’s future appears equally clear. Recent years have seen the rise of optical-based collision-avoidance systems, and Rains says the Proteus Core software could complement this technology by residing on third-party hardware. In time, Tocaro Blue’s machine-learning software could also help demystify other instrumentation—say, forward-looking sonar returns. However, Rains says, this isn’t on the company’s immediate road map.

Tocaro Blue’s machine-learning software can also ferret out errors in networked sensors. For example, most autopilots are only accurate to a few degrees unless a satellite compass is involved. (This inherent error can be compounded by the presence of ferrous metals within ships and bridges.) Rains says Tocaro Blue’s machine-learning software can perform a “constellation lock” and triangulate on known reference points, using cartographic and radar data to correct for sensor biases.

While there’s currently no feedback loop to the erroneous native sensors, in time, Rains says, this information could make autopilots and other networked sensors more accurate.

So, for skippers who find radar confusing or want to increase situational awareness, Proteus Hub is worth investigating. Just ask Red Flowers. Despite holding his captain’s license for 45 years, his night on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway could have ended differently without Tocaro Blue’s technology.

Busting Loose

For now, Proteus is available to boaters as a black-box system that networks with a vessel’s N2K and Ethernet networks to access radar and instrumentation data. Tocaro Blue may move to a software-as-a-service model and sell Proteus Core to boaters as software that runs aboard a personal computer or multifunction display. 

The post Smart Navigation with Tocaro Blue’s Proteus Hub appeared first on Yachting.

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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